Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-26
Cleveland's Baking Powder.
FAN MAKING As An ART.
Folding Is tho Most Dimcuit Branch, ed
We Have TO Learn IL Yet

We Have 20 Learn IL Vet.
Prom the New York sun
Nobody in America has quite mastered ths
art of folding fans. That difficult art has been
developed best in the fine French fans that are
Tor sale at prices ranging from so to eco
apiece. In folded fan the edges Of all the
sticks should be parallel and even. the shoulders
should be of equal height. and the siIken body
should be snugly and evenly disposed within
the inclosing sides A French fan maker,
unique among his fellows. having mastered the
whole art OF fan making came to this country
not many years ago and Was employed by e
famous firm to make fans. He took charge OF
factory and was told to go ahead. lie vas
supplied with skilled workmon and not uncom-
fortably limited 70 expenditure. For q few
years the factory turned out excellent fans
Even the folding was well done Then the
head workman died. and it was feared that with
him had almost persisted the art Of fan folding
IN this country, but he left has secret behind
HIM. 1t Was a very simple secret the tools
being primitive enough and the process appar-
emily not difficult, but as the whole art lies in the
delicate manipulation that comes OF long prac-
tice, his place Inns never really been filed by
those TO whom he impaired his secret
Fan painting CT the finer kind is almost az
ntle practiced In this country fan folding.
Inc same firm that employed the French
workman sought high and low in New York
Tor n tan painter until n Young woman with
undoubted artistic genius was found. She had
just sold painting for large sum. and she
was asked TO paint three fans No limitations
IN regard TO subject. tine or price were hNed.
In the course OF time the work WAS done, but
1t never saw the light Her genius was not for
ian painting.
Most OF the finer fans sold here are made in
Paris ANA IN three or four suburban villages
M fna L.. a.. IL
All the workers in one village make sticks;
those In another fold; those IN a tLiId supply
the bows that hold the sticks together. The
making OF the upper sticks O trade by itself.
Alter all the parts have been made they are
sent to the great factories Paris to be put to-
gether. fan maker begins his apprenticeship
IN childhood. The tools few and simple.
Most OF the carving ana iiligree work IL made
with chisel or scroll The pattern, traced
ON paper. Is pasted on the piece OF bone or
ivory or wood from which the fan stick is 20 he
made ana the fligree is rapidly cut with a saw.
Tortoise shell sticks are made Y special work.
ers IN shells. That is a difficult, delicate and
well-paid art. A few skillful shell workers are
IN New York, and they are among the best
paid artisans.
Tho costly part OF fine fans is the painting.
No wonder the American young woman failed
In her untutored attempt at the delicate art
Only lew very clever artists In Paris have
attained reputation as fan painters. and many
great master In oils would not dare risk his
name in such work. Detaille has painted n
few fans with his characteristic military figures
ana one OF the fans was sold in New York for .
great sum. But Detaille seldom essays such
work. lie Loire painted q fan that was sold IN
New York for $1,000. Madeleine Lemaire
occasionally paints a fan, but it 10 seldom
used except for wall decoration. Her prices
Tor such work are from $1,000 to $4,000.
There Is a host Of comparatively unknown
artists whose work, excellent in Its way, Ia
seen on fans that cost from $40 TO $50. Some
OF them sign assumed names To their work.
and all are the hacks Of the Partisan trade.
ne really famous fan painters OF Europe are
Albert, ohesseyicre, Houghton, Eugene Ci-
ceri and lassallez. Albert rs a painter Of min
latures and has training shows IN his work ON
fans Ills figures have a remarkable beauty
OF nnlsh. Chesseviere is strong in costumes
lie delights In depicting gay groups Of Paris
ians. Houghtons work is noticeable for d.ll-
cate finish. Clceri lie almost alone In paiutinp
Alpine scenes. He will cover the whole face cf
tan with great Alpine landscape and one
easily recognizable by those familiar with the
Alps Lassallez Is peculiarly rich in coloring
Fans painted by these artists arc sold for sI25
to 900 each
The cheaper fans are painted by wholesale.
long strip Of silk or other material is tackled
TO board, many fans are outliaed upon IL aud
then half a dozen painters paint the same sub
ject on each tan, each painter LAYING a particu-
lar color on the whole set. such fans cost only
u few francs each. They serve to aid the hiita-
tlons OF pretty French shop girls or to tickle
the peasant fancy in the provinces. Ficwer
fans OF the more expensive kind have found
little or no sale here and are not imported
much. Many of the cheaper fans. ranging as
low as S5 or &c each, are ornamented with
painted flowers. the work Of unknown artists.
Fan painting requires a special knack An the
management Of color and composition n. The
position Of sticks and creases must be consid-
cred, and the material of the far as an i'm
portant bearing on the style of decoration.
The artist must know in advance how many
sticks q fan 10 to contain. That, by the way, u
question that would puzzle most persons TO
answer offhand-the usual number OF sticks to
fan There are more fans with seventeen
sticks than with any other number, but the
rule Is not general As TO material, there il .
choice OF silk, lace, kid. gauze, and q few
other fabrics. When . smooth surface d re-
CURED for painting, paper is pasted on the face
Of the fan before the decoration 10 laid on.
The rage for costly fans il Q thing Of COM
parativeiy recent growth in this country.
Twenty-Five years ago Is would have been im-
possible to sell such fans nov find q ready
sale. The rage for collecting fans Ia Of stil
moie recent origin, but already many
thousands Of dollars are invested here in
rich fans, modern and antique Tho latter
adjective, by the way, Is applied 10 any fan
more than 100 years old. Few are moro thsa
2s,0 wears old