The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-07-11
sBGeURN Al
MONDAY, JULY IL. 1879.
Fsns and Tanners.
he fan, which in all ages has been
gnized as an implement of femi-

he fan. which in all ages has been
gniZed as an implement of femi-
q warfare, alike useful for the pur-
poses of attack aud defence, but which
has of late years, by other arts and
Establishments of the toilette, been
cast somewhat into neglect, is about
to be restored to It's wonted impor-
lance, under a new impulse given it
by the Empress of the French and the
increasing demand for the Industrial
occupation Of women. The manu-
facture of fans in Paris has become a
matter of high art and very extensive
employment. even for educated wo-
men. Five hundred and a thousand
dollars are prices not uncommonly
paid for the finer specimens.
In England, where the manufacture
once hourished, it has dwindled to
nothing, aud stimulated by French
example and by the demand of the
times, the science and art department
of the Crystal Palace, aided by =
committee of ladies. have conceived
aud carried out very successfully the
happy idea of such an exhibition Of
fans as will excite new and useful
interest in the manufacture. They
accomplished the grand object by
borrowing fans, and have succeeded
In bringing together loan collection
of more than four hundred fans,
French, italian, Spanish, Dutch, Chi
nese and Japanese. The Queen con-
tributed twenty, among them one
which was formerly the property
OF Maria Antoinette, and the EN-
press of the French a still larger
number. Many of the fans are of
considerable antiquity, some dating
from the middle of the sixteenth cen
fury.
There are in the collection con-
spicuous examples of beauty of desigo
and workmanship. aud exquisite spec
imens of painting on ivory by the ia
nous Vernis Martin, the secret of
which is supposed to have died with
him. In many other respects the col
lection is described as being exceed
ing curious and beautiful. The col
lection is to be kept open during this
and the next month, and descriptive
catalogue, illustrated with wood en-
cravings, is to be published. Pre-
miums are to be offered for the best
productions for an exhibition next
year, such as will induce female art
students to turn their attention to a
very charming and lucrative branch
of employment.
We shall look with interest to the
effects of this revival of the fan, in a
moral as well as an artistic or a com
mercial point of view; and shall ex-
pect to see not only large increase of
taste and skill aud profitable occupa-
ton among the women, but to real
ize a return of those memorable days
in which, as Addison informs US, wo :
men are armed with fans, as men
were with swords, and sometimes did
more execution with them; when wo
men studied diligently to become
mistresses of the magic weapon, and
of all the graces and firts and vibra-
tions that enter into that little modish
machine; when the Auttering of the
fan-the angry, tho modest, the tim
orous, the confused, the merry and
the amorous hutter-were more ex-
pressive even than words; When, In
fine, it was only necessary to see the
fan of disciplined lady to know
whether she laughed, or frowned, or
blushed. Those were times that tried
mems hearts.