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| Jalousie door and window Nubergwer 3, Public Domain via Wikipedia Commons |
By Jane Feehan
Today, jalousies appear to be a relic of mid-20th century Florida house construction. As hurricane-resistant storm windows overtake most other types, some may ask one day “what is a jalousie window?”
Jalousie (pronounced jal-o-see) windows first appeared in mid-18th century Europe. It was thought slatted louvered windows would serve as an alternative to the clear glass panes nosy neighbors would peer through out of jealousy over furniture or parties. So goes the reason for the window and genesis of the word.
A version of the jalousie window was patented by Joseph W. Walker from Malden, Massachusetts in 1900. Advertisements for and stories about these hand-cranked louvered windows first appeared in South Florida newspapers in the 1930s. One report appeared in the Fort Lauderdale Daily News in June 1937 (the earliest mention found).
Architects Robert Hansen and Courtney Stewart designed a two-bedroom residence in Fort Lauderdale with a porch that featured “blinds of the jalousie type found so extensively in the Mediterranean that permitted a maximum of ventilation.” Corner windows on the south and east sides of a house provide the best ventilation, wrote the reporter. (This was an important consideration before air-conditioning.)
A version of the jalousie window was patented by Joseph W. Walker from Malden, Massachusetts in 1900. Advertisements for and stories about these hand-cranked louvered windows first appeared in South Florida newspapers in the 1930s. One report appeared in the Fort Lauderdale Daily News in June 1937 (the earliest mention found).
Architects Robert Hansen and Courtney Stewart designed a two-bedroom residence in Fort Lauderdale with a porch that featured “blinds of the jalousie type found so extensively in the Mediterranean that permitted a maximum of ventilation.” Corner windows on the south and east sides of a house provide the best ventilation, wrote the reporter. (This was an important consideration before air-conditioning.)
This home, owned by Mr. and Mrs. William Wolfe was built of “concrete block …trimmed in brick red and green.” It was designed for “perfect harmony with the setting and climate of Lauderdale.”
A subsequent jalousie mention did not appear in the Dade area until nearly a year later in the Miami News (March 1938). A house on San Marco Drive, San Marco Island in Miami Beach, selling for $30,000, came with West Indian style shutters with jalousie treatment for the front screened porch.
By 1939, advertisements for jalousie windows were ubiquitous in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. A story appeared about a new colonial-style house on Star Island in Miami Beach with screened “jalousie porches that gave it a tropical character.”
A subsequent jalousie mention did not appear in the Dade area until nearly a year later in the Miami News (March 1938). A house on San Marco Drive, San Marco Island in Miami Beach, selling for $30,000, came with West Indian style shutters with jalousie treatment for the front screened porch.
By 1939, advertisements for jalousie windows were ubiquitous in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. A story appeared about a new colonial-style house on Star Island in Miami Beach with screened “jalousie porches that gave it a tropical character.”
In June that year, a business review column in the Miami Herald featuring “facts and hearsay” and “letters and visits” indicated readers had called to ask “what a jalousie window is.” The columnist confessed he “didn’t know until recently” but discovered “it seems they are those good-looking louvered doors and porch walls that keep the rain out and let the light and air in.”
Jalousie windows were off to a slower start in Palm Beach County. It could be they weren’t popular on Palm Beach Island or may not have been worthy of a Saturday newspaper home section story. The jalousie window was old news by then; they were featured in most homes of the day. Ads for them appeared often by the late 1940s (probably for the West Palm Beach market).
Could the jalousie window return? Today, some companies are trying to pitch them as an energy-saving element of the modern home. Humidity anyone? They were never good on a rainy, windy day. And they weren’t safe in a hurricane. As said, what’s old is new again. Let's hope not; a thumbs down for this oldie.
The word was out. In September 1939 an architectural event on Miami’s Lincoln Road included a jalousie window exhibit to drum up more interest.
Jalousie windows were off to a slower start in Palm Beach County. It could be they weren’t popular on Palm Beach Island or may not have been worthy of a Saturday newspaper home section story. The jalousie window was old news by then; they were featured in most homes of the day. Ads for them appeared often by the late 1940s (probably for the West Palm Beach market).
Could the jalousie window return? Today, some companies are trying to pitch them as an energy-saving element of the modern home. Humidity anyone? They were never good on a rainy, windy day. And they weren’t safe in a hurricane. As said, what’s old is new again. Let's hope not; a thumbs down for this oldie.
Sources:
Fort Lauderdale Daily News, June 30, 1937
Miami News, March 20, 1938
Miami News, Dec. 31, 1938
Miami Herald, Feb. 19, 1039
Miami Herald, Sept. 11, 1939
https://safetylinejalousie.com.au/the-history-of-jalousie
Wikipedia
Tags: Jalousie windows, SOFLA home construction history, Fort Laudedale history, Miami history, history of Fort Lauderdale, history of home construction industry
