Dear Lacemakers, Aurelia's mention of her lace fans reminded me that newbies might like to look at The Fan Museum website, even though I could not find lace fans this time around:
www.fan-museum.org My re-vist to this museum web site brings back pleasant memories. Over 3,500 fans and fan leaves - from the 11th century to the present are in the collection, but only a few are on display at any one time. (I originally thought the museum would be larger.) They offer *conservation services* for other museums and the public. If you know someone who is a collector, look at the Gift Shop items for sale - books, jewelry, etc. with a fan theme. Often, you can order the books in your own country. Within walking distance of this museum are a pub (or more) and some shops in which to rummage for forgotten treasures (amidst the junk). --- To continue about fans: At the Costume Society of America symposium in Philadelphia in May, we were treated to a demonstration of novelty hand fans - some were parasols, some were disguised as daggers and floral bouquets, others as games and toys (a book is being written about these). The Fan expert was Cynthia Fendel of Dallas, Texas. She's been collecting for over 30 years, and belongs to many fan organizations (including being a life member of the Fan Museum in England, where her fans have been on display). She conducts *fan appraisals* via the Internet, though I doubt she has encountered anything as wonderful as Aurelia's lace fans. www.handfanpro.com I did not see any lace fans as I navigated this site, but know that Tess will enjoy "Fans of the Philadelphia Centennial 1876 - the first World's Fair in the U.S. Devon - there is a section on "Language of the Fan" (some will remember Devon's amusing article in the IOLI Bulletin on this subject). There is a museum list, and so forth. Have fun exploring this subject. Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace & Embroidery Resource Center - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
