Fanning Action

 

The fan language instructions and colouring pages. I'm still working on the finished booklet. (in other words, I ran out of time during the project, but I want to try and finish it over the summer.)

Cut out and fold out fan

I decided to make an activity book aimed at children, from which you could design and construct your own fan and then follow diagrams in the book to learn the fan language. I decided that I could also turn these instructions into images of Victorian ladies that could be coloured.

 Fold out cover rough.

Fan trials

 Fan shape

Activity book cover (Pocket-folding cardboard to make fan leaves)

Fan Language

Earlier on this year for the Fact Project, I decided to make an activity book based on the fan. I discovered a fan on the Pitt Rivers Museum website, with a mirror on the handle, perhaps used to look over one's shoulder at a ball in the 18-19th Centuries.

This reminded me of the fan language, which was also used during this time. It was a secret way of communicating at these events, where the young were strictly chaperoned and there were many rules of etiquette.