The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-07-19
Rare and Beautiful Gems That Are Priced
by ST. Louis Ladies.
One Fan in Frame-One That Was q Gift
From a Baron-Another That Is 800 Years
old-A Fan With Portrait.

Ihis WAS the Pompadour ian.
But it is not of the toys of that far-gone
day or OF the fans whose airy tolls are
past that we write. With these we have
nothing to do. We are touching solely
upon the fan of the present day, writes
contributor to the st. Louis Post Dispatch
of recent date.
Volumes have been written on the origin.
almost the evolution, of the fan, and 10
trace its history one must 90 back beyond
the days of Moses-for it is an assured fact
that Pharaoh's daughter bad welded her
fan or had it welded for her before she dis
covered the tiny babe hidden in the bull
rushes We all know how queens have
caused the fall or rescue of throne by the
dictates of fan. We all know how the
PompadOur, who had crept into the heart of
Louis, retained her reign by the swaying of
Ian, whose memory Is enshrined inverse
and story. No fair woman of history has
ever been deprived of that picturesque and
potent weapon-her fan. Fabiola felt its
breeze. Elizabeth used it as scepter
Jane Stuart as the foil TO her matchess
and queenly beauty, Marie Antoinette
furled and unfurled the dainty banner of
womanhood and Josephine used it as one of
her imperial charms-a pretty device to
place before her smiling face, and her
bright, beautiful eyes looked over its shield,
while the only defect of this charming wo-
perfect teeth, were hidden by its kindly pro-
lection. We will not even 90 back 10 the
fans so cherished by the first daughter Of
the Revolution, fair Martha Washington,
who,
WITH ALL HER GOOD SENSE
Knew we'll the value of wOmanly coquetry.
IL is not the fan of the past We recall, but it
is the fan of the hour that we have now TO
do with
Gauze and the light materials are much
aft cted-more so than the feathers and
heavier Stuifs, but painting is used as extern
slvely as possible and the artist friends of
the tan-bearerS have ample opportunity now
to show their goodwill by painting pretty
little sketches OF landscapes and attractive
punches of flowers on the fans of their
friends. 1t is to be hoped that they will be
more appreciated than was the painting of
great artist-Messlonier, | think it was
by his tiny grandchild. The little girl had
pretty white Satin fan presented by a
friend TO her on her birthday. The cele-
brated artist, wishing 10 surprise the child,
secretly took the fan and painted on its
satin space one of his most beautiful crea-
lions. Alas for good Intentions from great
and small: The little migrate, upon seeing
her IAN with ITS superb DECORATION, flew into
fury of iage and tears, and sobbed angrily
that her fan had been ruined.
In 81. Louis there are many handsome
fans owned by ladies who prize them as
much, If not more, for their historical
Mrs. X. c. Kerens has one of pearl and lace
which she used at the Inauguration OF
President Harrison, and which she values
so much for its association that she has it
framed and hung prominently in
ONE OF THE RECEPTIoN-RooNs
OF her home on Vandeyenter place. The
late Mrs. Charles Parsons was extremely
fond of valuable fans and possessed several
of great worth and exquisite beauty. But
after her death MIR. Parsons sent them to
Eastern relatives of his dead wife as SOU
venirs of the philanthropic lady Mrs.
Perry, the daughter of Mr. Charles Gibson,
has in her possession a fan which she holds
highly as the gift of the Baron de Schaeffer,
who, after retirement frnm his post
of Minister, which he had held for
to his home across the seas, sent
this handsome fan as remembrance
TO the daughter of his old friend Mr.. Gibson
who had been so greatly honored by the
sovereign of the Baron. The fan is Of tor
toiSe she'll and feathers-the sticks graDdly
curved and the feathers of shimmering dark
green. 1t is an unique and odd fan and
highly priced by Mrs Perry. Mrs. Gibson
has in her possession beautiful fan of
ivory and silver presented to her wears and
years ago by her husband, and the love of
fans IN this family is demonstrated by the
fact that Miss Virgie Conn has possibly one
the largest and choicest collections of fans
in the city. The Gibson family are all noted
loI tHtiI udill1 ldSlt dUu always Tue lover
OF esthetlc grace is lover of pretty fans.
In the South Side there is one lady, whose
name is not given, as she lies dangerously
Ill at present, who has fan of rare work
manship, which is
THREE HUNDRED YEARS OLD,
And has had a most romantic history 1t
had been in the possession of her family
for years and years before she received the
inheritance. Mrs. jeff Chandler has an ex-
quisitely beautiful ian of carved ivory and
satin, now yellow with age, having been the
fan of one of the ladies celebrated for their
beauty in the old Revolutionary days. Mrs
Charles Greeley has number of beautiful
and costly fans, and one lady on Bell ave-
nue. declares that she has the most unique
fan in the city, AS il is the breast Of a great
W lite bird which her husband brought
down one day on hunting expedition.
This is mounted on q claw-like handle
and completed with the entire body of a
tiny black bird, also shot by her husband.
Another lady has a regular curio collection
of Persian and Spanish fans. and Mrs.
Halsey c. Ives has a number OF art treas
ures in the form of fans. Mrs. Rufus J..
Lakeland has a number of rare fans also,
and no one can manage them in a more regal
manner than this queenly woman. Tine late
Mrs. Samuel Leathe, whose collection of
jewels and rare objects of art was brought
TO her by her husband from abroad, had a
variety of the most exquisite fans, most of
them after the charming lady's death being
sent East to relatives by her husband Still
another lady here has the portrait of her
grandmother painted on her fan by an artist
famed in his day.