Origins of Brigg
The joining of Brigg with Swaine & Adeney was a logical step, given our shared experiences navigating both world wars, royal endorsements, and concurrent production of canes and whips. Today, the esteemed Swaine's Brigg umbrellas continue to enjoy widespread admiration worldwide, reminiscent of their popularity in the 19th century.
Charles Brigg - A Plumassier
Born on November 24, 1783, Charles Brigg began his career as a plumassier, specialising in cleaning, dyeing, and styling feathers for decorative purposes such as hats, dresses, and fans.
Initially known for supplying military plumes, he expanded into women's fashion accessories, a venture influenced by his wife Elizabeth.
Thomas Brigg’s St James Branch
Thomas Brigg, the eldest child of Charles Brigg, was born on March 29, 1805. In 1828, he established a separate retail location for the family business at 23 St. James Street. By August 1829, Thomas began diversifying the business by introducing new lines, including umbrellas, which quickly gained importance. By April 1830, Charles Brigg identified himself as an umbrella maker in his will. Following Charles's passing, his daughters inherited the Charing Cross branch, while Thomas took over the St. James branch.
In 1838, just a decade after founding his business, Thomas Brigg's shop at No. 23 St. James's Street was labeled as "Brigg - Umbrella, Cane & Whip Maker" on John Tallis's pictorial plan of the area. Recognising the popularity of walking sticks as a gentleman's accessory, Brigg decided to expand his range to include high-quality walking sticks in 1838. These sticks, rooted in seventeenth-century tradition and popularised by dandies in the late eighteenth century, became essential components of a stylish gentleman's wardrobe.
Thomas and his wife Fanny had at least six children, with the eldest born in 1831 eventually taking over the family business. They worked together until around 1850, and it is believed that shortly after William's twenty-first birthday, the business adopted the name Brigg & Sons. Later, when another son named Thomas, born in 1845, joined the business, it was renamed Thomas Brigg & Sons.
Thomas Brigg & Sons
Thomas Sr. passed away in 1881 at the age of 77. His two sons, William and Thomas Jr., operated the business as a partnership until 1886 when Thomas Jr retired. Despite Thomas Jr’s retirement, the business continued to trade as Thomas Brigg & Sons.
Throughout much of this period, William partnered with his own sons, William Henry Brigg (1858-1903) and Walter Alfred Brigg (1860-1950).
Brigg & Sons
Following William Henry’s passing in 1903, Walter Alfred continued to run the business, eventually bringing two of his sons, Bertie Walter Brigg (1885-1972) and Guy Lenard Brigg (1890-1970), into partnership. During this period, the goods were often branded simply as Brigg & Sons or just Brigg.
By 1898, when William retired, Brigg had transformed from a small operation focused on covering and repairing everyday umbrellas and parasols to a renowned name known for crafting high-quality, unique umbrellas catering to an aristocratic clientele, reflecting their elevated prices.
In 1899, Brigg expanded its presence by opening a showroom in Paris, located at 33 Avenue de L’Opéra. This establishment served as a gateway to the Continent, attracting royal patrons such as the King and Queen of Spain, the King and Queen of Portugal, the Queen of Norway, and the Duchess of Sparta.
By 1914, Brigg had established an extensive network of outlets worldwide. In addition to London and Paris, Brigg umbrellas were available through approved retailers in Nice, Biarritz, Brussels, Florence, Palermo, Rome, Naples, Vienna, Berlin, Barcelona, Madrid, and Buenos Aires. The proliferation of outlets in France and Italy was ironic, considering that these were the countries where the umbrella had first gained popularity in Europe.
From Walking Sticks to The Umbrella
Following World War I, there was a significant shift in the demand for walking sticks among urban men, with rustic sticks for country use still in demand but the market for gentleman's canes drying up.
Similar to Swaine & Adeney, Brigg's reputation and commercial success relied on adapting to the times while maintaining craftsmanship standards. Before WWI, they pioneered an early form of canopy for motor cars—a large umbrella with a hinge allowing it to fold flat against the shaft and swivel to shield from rain and wind, known as a marquise hinge, a classic umbrella innovation.
One notable creation was the "en-tout-cas", a British invention with a French name, serving as both umbrella and parasol suitable for all weather conditions. Brigg's innovation extended to the "Perfect", a shooting-stick combining walking cane, silk umbrella, and pigskin seat, marketed as an elegant and comfortable accessory for various leisure activities.
The decline in walking sticks' popularity, partly due to the emergence of motoring as a leisure pursuit and the stick's role as a mobility aid for war casualties, was countered by the rise of umbrellas as a gentleman's accessory in 1930s London. To celebrate their centenary, Brigg introduced the ultra-slim "Centenary" umbrella, reflecting their ongoing efforts to design sleeker gadgets.
Outbreak of WWII
A Brigg umbrella became a must-have for stylish gentlemen. However, the outbreak of WWII and subsequent events, including the loss of their Paris showroom, led to challenges for Brigg. The merger of Thomas Brigg & Sons with Swaine & Adeney in February 1943 followed. Bertie oversaw the merger with Swaine & Adeney.
Like Swaine & Adeney, Brigg faced trading difficulties during the war. The amalgamation of the two companies was a logical move; both were well-established in St James’s and their product lines complemented each other, often overlapping.
Over 115 years of independent operation, four generations of the Brigg family steered the company, from Thomas's establishment of the shop in St James’s Street in 1828 to Bertie's endorsement of the merger agreement in 1943.
Swaine, Adeney, Brigg & Sons
The post-war era, marked by austerity measures and political shifts, heralded a new chapter in the realm of quality umbrella manufacturing and sales. In the 1960s, Swaine Adeney Brigg & Sons placed a premium on excellent design, with their luggage collections evolving to embody the sleek, contemporary lines and evolving tastes of the era while maintaining impeccable quality. This transformation was particularly evident in the women's department, where vibrant umbrellas began to vie for attention amidst the traditional black silks, alongside sharply styled boxy handbags and bright red vanity cases that stood out among the classic briefcases. Advances in technology partially offset the loss of traditional suppliers; while silk became scarce and expensive, nylon emerged as a viable alternative, offering comparable tensile strength, resistance to creases, and waterproofing.
The television series "The Avengers" provided a significant boost in publicity during this period. From 1962 to 1964, Patrick Macnee's character, John Steed, starred alongside Honor Blackman's leather-clad Cathy Gale. Steed's persona evolved into that of a witty, eccentric dandy, donning a pinstriped suit and bowler hat while twirling a flawlessly furled Brigg umbrella with its distinctive whangee handle. The umbrella's concealed sword only added to its allure. In hindsight, Steed can be viewed as an early archetype of the "young fogey", and his character played a pivotal role in revitalising the umbrella as a fashion accessory for the style-conscious man. His exaggerated Englishness also became a selling point for Brigg Umbrellas in the United States, where the series garnered a significant following, marking one of the first British television programmes to achieve widespread popularity overseas.
