Fan Museum
Encyclopedia
The Fan Museum was the first museum dedicated to the fan
. It is located in the Greenwich
World Heritage Site
in South East London
, England
.
The Museum, which opened in 1991, is accommodated in two grade II* listed houses built in 1721. An orangery decorated with murals has been added to the building. There is also a Japanese-style garden with a fan-shaped parterre
, a pond, and a stream.
The Fan Museum owns over 4,000 fans, fan leaves and related ephemera. The oldest fan in the collection dates from the 10th century and the collection of 18th and 19th century European fans is especially impressive. The entire collection is not displayed permanently due to conservation concerns, so three times a year the selection of fans on exhibit is changed. There is also a permanent educational display about fans, teaching about their history, the manufacturing process, and the different kinds of fans.
The Museum operates a conservation unit where work is done both for other museums and for the public. New fans are also made at the Museum, and fan-making classes are held. The Fan Museum also has a reference library.
The Museum is operated by an independent charitable trust and has received financial support from the London Tourist Board, English Heritage
, the National Art Collections Fund
, the Foundation for Sports and the Arts, The Heritage of London Trust and the Heritage Lottery Fund
, and from many corporate and individual supporters.
Exhibits include a fan with a built in ear trumpet and a one with a repair kit built into the design.
Fan (implement)
A hand-held fan is an implement used to induce an airflow for the purpose of cooling or refreshing oneself. Any broad, flat surface waved back-and-forth will create a small airflow and therefore can be considered a rudimentary fan...
. It is located in the Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
in South East London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The Museum, which opened in 1991, is accommodated in two grade II* listed houses built in 1721. An orangery decorated with murals has been added to the building. There is also a Japanese-style garden with a fan-shaped parterre
Parterre
A parterre is a formal garden construction on a level surface consisting of planting beds, edged in stone or tightly clipped hedging, and gravel paths arranged to form a pleasing, usually symmetrical pattern. Parterres need not have any flowers at all...
, a pond, and a stream.
The Fan Museum owns over 4,000 fans, fan leaves and related ephemera. The oldest fan in the collection dates from the 10th century and the collection of 18th and 19th century European fans is especially impressive. The entire collection is not displayed permanently due to conservation concerns, so three times a year the selection of fans on exhibit is changed. There is also a permanent educational display about fans, teaching about their history, the manufacturing process, and the different kinds of fans.
The Museum operates a conservation unit where work is done both for other museums and for the public. New fans are also made at the Museum, and fan-making classes are held. The Fan Museum also has a reference library.
The Museum is operated by an independent charitable trust and has received financial support from the London Tourist Board, English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
, the National Art Collections Fund
National Art Collections Fund
The Art Fund is an independent membership-based British charity, which raises funds to aid the acquisition of artworks for the nation. It gives grants and acts as a channel for many gifts and bequests, as well as lobbying on behalf of museums and galleries and their users...
, the Foundation for Sports and the Arts, The Heritage of London Trust and the Heritage Lottery Fund
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
, and from many corporate and individual supporters.
Exhibits include a fan with a built in ear trumpet and a one with a repair kit built into the design.
See also
- Greenwich Visitor Centre
- List of London museums
- The Hand Fan Museum, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA