Loading

Victorian Fans at the Erwin-Stover House From the collection of Mary Eleanor Freeborn and Barbara V. Kuter, 1982

Rose Warrington / plumbeotype from life, artist James Queen Fuller, photographer, John Plumbe, circa 1847

A Brief History of Fans in America

Brise Fans—before 1840

Evening Dress, Ackermann’s Repository of Arts, July 1813

The styles of fans that were popular among women during the early 1800s were referred to as “brise fans.” These small, delicate fans were constructed from pierced pieces of ivory or wood that were tied together.

Fans—1840-1860

Oil painting Franz Xavier Winterhalter - portrait of a lady with a fan seated, 1850

Beginning in 1840, fans started to become larger and more opulent in design. They were an essential accessory for the women of the upper class. They typically measured 6” - 10” in length. Their sticks were manufactured from stiff materials like wood, bone, or ivory. These were inlaid often featuring organic floral patterns, and could also feature images of landscapes or animals such as birds or fish on the leaves. Many were imported from China, Japan as well as France.

Fans-1860-1890

The Black Fan - Portrait of Mrs Talcott Williams, Thomas Eakins 1891

In the late 1800s, fans also became much more substantial. The average size for fans from 1880 onward ranged anywhere from 14” - 16” in length. These fans opened with merely the flick of a wrist. They were painted or embroidered with vibrant colors, decorative scenes, and intricate artwork.

Photo by Alvan S. Harper, Tallahassee, Florida

Soon fans became mass produced making them popular with the middle class as well. Cheaper materials like thin, balsam wood started to be used and patterns could be printed. By 1875, fans were a commonplace accessory for ladies of all social classes.

Fan Flirtations

During an era when women were expected to be demure and passive in the pursuit of romance, a unique cultural language developed around the fan, now carried by most women in social situations. The fan was used to convey secret messages to potential suitors. How fans were held and used could alert someone of the opposite sex, as to whether the fan holder was attracted to them or not.

There were many movements that Victorian women used to invite - or discourage - a suitor from making amorous advances. A women carrying an open fan in front of her face in her left hand or meant she was “desirous of an acquaintance.”

ca. 1870-1900’s, [tintype portrait of two cloaked ladies smiling demurely from behind a palm fan]

Carrying an open fan in her left hand regardless of its placement expressed that she wanted a man to talk to her. An open fan in her right hand also said, “follow me.” If she had an open fan by her side, it meant that a Victorian woman wanted a man to wait for her.

Slowly waving a fan expressed that the woman was already married. Rapidly waving a fan expressed that she was engaged. If a woman touched an almost-closed fan to her lips, however, it meant that she was desirous of a kiss. Drawing a closed fan across her cheek let him know “I love you.”

Fans from the Erwin-Stover House

Feathers

Georges Clairin : Portrait of Sarah Bernhardt (1876)

As fans became more popular, their appearance and design became much more elaborate. Fans made of quills or feathers became in vogue and often were dyed attractive colors to make them even more appealing.

82.2.9 Red-dyed goose feather fan on rope-twist carved grip made of ivory or bone, maker unknown, probably American, circa 1880-1900

the 1870s, ostrich feathers were the material of choice when it came to decorative fans. Typically monochromatic in design, fans manufactured from ostrich feathers also included tortoise shell sticks to enhance their appeal.

Lady with a fan, Ashburton Museum
82.2.8 Ivory or Bone and ostrich feather folding fan, maker unknown, possibly American, circa 1880

Chantilly lace eventually replaced feathered fans as the newest fashion

Two corseted women share a fan in Newport, Pennsylvania, by William Easter Lenney, 1890s.
82.2.11 Ivory, silk, metal and celluloid folding fan, maker unknown, possibly American, circa 1880-1900

The folding, pleated ‘concertina’ fan, of paper or textile, is perhaps the most familiar and is one of the familiar forms of Chinese and Japanese fans.

Folk art 18th century fashion | Rufus Hathaway
82.2.7 bamboo and paper folding fan with printed scene on front with man at railing gazing at a centipede, maker unknown, Japanese, circa 1880-1890
82.2.7 bamboo and paper folding fan with printed scene of a crane on back maker unknown, Japanese, circa 1880-1890

Cheaper materials like bamboo and balsam wood made fans more affordable

Photo of two women one with a fan by D.C. Burnite, Harrisburg, PA
Wood and Paper folding fan with hand painting on both sides, maker unknown, circa 1890

Printing and mass production of paper made fans more affordable as well, spreading their use among all social groups.

82.2.10 Ivory fan with metallic paper plates with chrysanthemum leaf decoration, maker unknown, circuit 1880
Susan Macdowell and woman with fan by J.R. Appelgate, circa 1870
82.2.4 Wood and silk black fan with pink and white flowers and butterflies, make or unknown, possibly American, circa 1880-1900

It was typical to see hand painted images of flowers decorating 19th- century hand fans. The most common flowers were roses, tulips, daisies, lily of the valley, pansies, poppies and violets. The flowers selected for the fans had hidden meanings. Fans displaying roses indicated love, while forget-me-nots might indicate remembrance of a loved one in times of mourning .

Assorted hand-painted flowers

Cockade fans, which have only two outer guards rather than a multitude of inner sticks, and that open to form a full circle, can be pleated or brisé construction.

Man with Woman holding a Cockade Fan
86.4.10 brown paper folding fan with wooden stick

Joseph Addison wrote a satirical article in The Spectator, "That Women are armed with fans as men with swords, and sometimes do more execution with them." He continued, "There is an infinite variety of motions to be made use of in the Flutter of a Fan. There is the angry Flutter, the modest Flutter, the timorous Flutter, the confused Flutter, the merry Flutter, and the amorous Flutter."

ca. 1840-60, [daguerreotype portrait of a smiling, dark haired young lady, identified as Carlotta Patti, with lace gloves and a fan], Harvard university Houston library

This presentation was created by Amy Hollander, Historic Properties Manager for the Bucks County Parks and Recreation Department

Created By
Amy Hollander
Appreciate