Dallas, Texas-based Cynthia Fendel, a fan expert for more than 30 years, continues to write and lecture on the topic of hand fans. Cynthia is the author of Novelty Hand Fans, Fashionable Functional Fun Accessories of the Past. She recently spoke with me about her fan collection.
ephemera: When did your passion for fans begin?
Fendel: I was a New York City actor in 1974 and cast in a summer production of Bittersweet at the St. Louis Muny. According to the script, I was to hold a fan. So, I went to Chinatown, and found a cheap prop fan to practice with. As a theater tradition, actors receive closing night gifts pertaining to their character or the theme of the show. Since I held a fan, I was gifted with a huge Victorian silk fan, the first in my collection...the Chinatown prop fan did not last! After that, I would collect most every kind of fan I could afford on an actor's pay. My sources at the time were New York antique street fairs, flea markets, or small town shops or flea markets while on the road.
ephemera: That's an interesting and unique way to get started. What challenges do you encounter in finding new items for your collection?
Fendel: When I first started collecting, I was overwhelmed with how diverse fans could be. I soon realized that’s what makes them so interesting. Since the Internet, I have no problem in adding to fans to my fan collection. I still find fans on the Internet that I have never seen before, and I have a huge fan library. I find it a challenge researching the vast array of topics found on fans. For example, I have a fan with a photograph of a cowgirl...thinking she was Annie Oakley...but found out she was Mae Lillie, a star Wild West performer at the time.
I live on Google...researching! Sometimes a fan may be hard to find because of its cross appeal. I own a 1900 fan depicting a football game between Harvard and Yale...with pennants from Ivy League schools across the top. It appeals to those with an interest in sports, Harvard or Yale memorabilia, as well as fan collectors. A fun example is an advertising fan for a hotel in Florence, Italy, made in the shape of a deck of cards. It appeals to those who collect playing cards, hotel ephemera, as well as advertising fan collectors.
ephemera: I talk a lot about cross-over collectibles on the blog. Those are great examples. What are some of your favorite fans? 
advertising from various establishments, but am searching for a specific example. It's illustrated with notables of the period such as Ben Harrison, Bill McKinley, Chauncey DePew, John Sherman, Levi Morton, and Thomas Reed...with Columbia, a flag, eagle, and the Capitol pictured on the back. I was inspired to research these fans in depth because many with these fans have no idea they reveal other scenes or that they were patented as a combined toy and fan in 1895.
Fendel: I knew you were going to ask that tough question! Of my favorite ephemera fans--I collect vintage clothing accessory fans also--are the novelty examples that tell fortunes or are articulated in some way. I also like patriotic or floral cockade (round shape) novelty fans that come out of disguised as cardboard or paper mache items or characters. Another style and recent favorite are large 1890's paper folding fans decorated with crisscrossed cord on their outside (guard) sticks. When partially folded, the illustration printed across the paper fan leaf (the folded part) takes on a humorous picture, different than when the fan is fully opened. I have a variety of these fans illustrated with
ephemera: It's amazing how much there is to know about fans. What’s your advice to achieving success as a fan collector?
Fendel: Learn to clean, restore, and store fans properly. Keep researching and then share that research!
ephemera: What resources do you recommend?
Fendel: Both the Ephemera Society of America and the Fan Association of North America are great organizations for fan collectors. My new book, Novelty Hand Fans, Fashionable Functional Fun Accessories of the Past, is a must for all who have an interest in fans.
ephemera: After reading about your collection, I'm sure a lot of people will want to purchase a copy of the book. Thanks for telling us about this fan-tastic area of ephemera, Cynthia.
Search Abebooks for the books listed in this interview.
I have a Victoria, paper hand fan with ladies signatures on it and most have a date under their signature. The dates range from 1880 to 1885. It is from the Hamilton, Ontario Canada area and some of the names are of prominent area residents.
I want to sell it, would you have any suggestions where I should start this process.
Many thanks,
Linda
Posted by: Linda | November 14, 2009 at 11:24 AM
Cynthia, I was given your name because I have 5 beautiful antique feather fans that I would like to display but do not want to put them in fan frames. What do you suggest? Suan Hughes (972)-934-2468
suanch@sbcglobal.net
Posted by: Suan Hughes | October 27, 2010 at 11:52 AM