Unique, local museum fans out

Healdsburg’s Hand Fan Museum moved to a bigger space this fall
offering locals and visitors a chance to view larger displays of
their fan collection.
The only Hand Fan Museum in the United States moved in next door
to the h2 hotel this past November to become a front and center
destination as you drive into town. Pamela Sher, a partner in Hotel
Healdsburg and h2hotel is also a fan collector and in 2003 decided
to display some of her then 1,200-fans in Healdsburg.
“While Pamela was in Europe she picked up a fan and was
intrigued by the art and the detail and the story of it. Soon after
she became a collector,” said Liz Keeley, manager of the
museum.
For many years the museum has had about 7, 000 to 9,000 visitors
annually and is hoping that number will grow with their new and
much more visible spot. The only other hand fan museums in the
world are based in England, France and Germany.
“This time of year our visitors schedule is a little different
because of the rain,” said Keeley. “The fans can’t take the
moisture so the best time to come is when the sun is out.”
Every three months the museum rotates pieces from their
collection that now hosts over 3,000 fans. The current collection
features fans of love, romance, marriage and flirting. Once a year,
in the fall, the museum also hosts an outside collection by an
American fan collector.
“We are a non-profit so people can donate their collections for
a write-off and often times the children don’t want to inherit old
things from their parents so we have received a lot of beautiful
collections,” said Keeley.
The history of the fan begins with a leaf that was used to keep
flies off of food, start a fire or to keep cool. The first man-made
fan design was a stationary panel attached to a stick. Then in
seventh century Japan a monk who was inspired from watching a bats
wing open and shut created the folding fan. From there the fan
became an accessory.
“We in California tend to think of Asia when we think of a fan
but it is really the Europeans and the French specifically who make
fans as works of art,” said Keeley.
There are three types of fans all of which can be seen at the
museum: the fixed or flat fan, a stiff blade fan that is called a
Brisé and the folding fan. Fans are made from multiple materials
including wood, tortoise shell, ivory, silk, gold, lace and mother
of pearl.
Keeley explains that the tradition of fan making is not a thing
of the past and that fans are being featured more often now as a
fashion accessory.
“There is a company in France still making fans today,” she
said. “One of the old fan houses in Paris, Duvelleroy, has been
restarted by two women and I think they are going to resurface
again.”
Traditionally only men made fans and women would commission a
fan maker to create a personalized fan usually for an event. She
would tell the fan maker her story or what she was about to
celebrate and the fan maker would paint the scene onto the fan.
“Even now you can flip through the pages of magazines and see
them,” Liz said about fans making a come back. “I know it sounds
funny but my biggest customer for modern fans is the hot flash
crowd.”
Fans can be purchased at the museum and occasionally they will
receive a donation of a fan that is similar to one that they
already own so they add them to their vintage collection that is on
display for sale. The museum also sells inexpensive folding fans
from Asia.
At the end of the month, the museum will display a royal fan
exhibit including a Princess Diana fan and a Princess Ferguson fan.
The exhibit is in honor of the upcoming royal wedding and members
of the museum will be invited to a special reception night where a
faux sapphire replica of Princess Diana’s ring will be auctioned
off to raise money for the museum.
After a visit to the museum, stop next door at the h2 hotel
where well-know mixoligist Scott Beattie created a cocktail named
the ‘Geisha’ in honor of their new neighbor.
To become a member or find out about upcoming events, visit
www.handfanmuseum.com.
Robin Hug can be reached at ro***@hb*****.com.