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| THE BASICS > SHUTTER HISTORY |
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Some of it is fact... some folklore. And a lot of the history of shutters is pure, undocumented speculation. But what kind of devoted perpetuators of tradition would we be if we didn’t share with you some of the interesting shutter anecdotes that fascinate us so.
It’s no secret that, until relatively recent times, window shutters were more for protection than decoration. Protection from the elements. Protection from enemies.
The concept of shuttering windows, it is believed, has its roots in ancient Greece, where fixed louver shutters crafted of marble were used for light and heat control, ventilation and protection. Not surprising, considering the Greeks’ countless contributions to modern civilization.
Wood entered the fold when shutters found their way into Mediterranean (Continental) Europe. A more practical material than marble, wood enabled movable louvers, which offered even more control over the elements.
Glass windows made their first real appearance in Tudor and Elizabethan times and, because of their expense, were reserved for the upper half of windows... and the upper crust of society. Wood shutters continued to protect the bottom portion of windows.
Curiously, shutters were used predominantly on the inside of the window until the rise of the wood frame Victorian. The deep windowsills of prior times made it impractical to place shutters on the outside because they would be simply unreachable.
Shutters crossed the pond with early Spanish colonials and, over time, became more and more prolific throughout the Colonies – taking on influences of their Old World roots. Shutters in New England... their English heritage, and so forth. Nowadays, of course, you’ll find nary an American home without shutters... even though many are mere cosmetic shadows of their traditional ancestors.
Now for some shutter folklore. Fact or fiction, we may never know for sure. It’s been said that the term louver was coined when French monarch, Louis the XIV, moved his residence from the Louvre to the Palace at Versailles. It seems Louis had a penchant for taking inconspicuous peeks from time to time at the lovely ladies of his court at bath time in the ponds of his gardens. And remember the legend of Lady Godiva and Peeping Tom? That’s right, it was a shutter that allowed Tom his peeping.
Just a bit of the heritage of our craft. Fear not... there won’t be a quiz. But when you call, you might have to endure hearing a little more about shutter tradition than you bargained for. That’s fine. We won’t take offense if you politely ask that we shutter up.
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