1882 [23]
The Crown Perfumery Company’s most famous showroom, 177, New Bond Street, opened on April 24th, 1878 with an exhibition of artistic fans which continued throughout the summer. Clients were not only purchasing scents, soaps and sachets, they were purchasing fans.
Fans were an important accessory for fashionable women and Crown sold a superior assortment of fans — presentation, wedding, ball, feather, lace, mourning, half-mourning and everyday fans. Supplies for painting and embroidering fans were available at their stores.
Fan size was susceptible to the swings of fashion. The pendulum would swing between large fans in the 1870s and small, 13” fans in the 1890s. Whether lace, silk, satin, ostrich feather or vellum, all had their time in the spotlight as society’s latest “de rigeur” accessory.
To have and to hold, to swish and to swat, fans were a beautiful weapon for both the young debutante and the sophisticated socialite. Like all warriors, they chose their weapon carefully and practiced their moves. Resting on the right cheek: Yes! Resting on the left cheek: No! Drawing the fan across the cheek: I love you. Which hand held the fan? Which direction was it moving? Was it open or closed? Each movement and position had a specific meaning, which only enhanced the value of using the appropriate fan at the appropriate event.
France and Vienna were known for producing exquisite fans. England was not so well known – it was even thought that there were no gifted fan makers in the country. This thought was disproved in 1878 when the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers held a competitive exhibition to revive both public and manufacturing interest in the art of making and decorating fans. The ten day exhibition opened on July 2nd, 1878 in London with 1,259 fans of ancient and modern origin. Nearly 12,000 people attended the event.
In the ancient category, The Crown Perfumery Company showcased two important historical items: a fan once belonging to Madame de Pompadour which had a glorious painting on vellum by Pietro de Cortona and an elaborate fan of Marie Antoinette’s which had five medallions painted on China silk, with gold thread details and carved ivory sticks and handles.
Crown was one of seven principal exhibitors in the Modern Fan category. One of their showcases told the story of the various stages of fan manufacturing, with examples and interesting descriptions of the process. Other showcases held an exquisite assortment of fan shapes, sizes and materials. Their beautiful point d’Alençon lace and Chantilly lace fans were singled out as particular favorites of several journalists. The sticks and handles were highly polished and elaborately carved tortoise-shell and mother-of-pearl.
Hand painted gauze fan, 1886-1887 [24]
Exhibited by The Crown Perfumery Company, the artist Edward Nash’s Cinderella fan, painted in grey and white gouache on black silk, was entirely finished during the exhibition. The clock had struck midnight and the magic had worn off. The scene had a beautiful, but not-so-fashionable Cinderella in her work frock; a pumpkin carriage with its team of mice; a rat for a coachman; and a frog for a footman. An Honorable Mention was awarded to this particular fan. Mr. Nash and Crown would also receive a Bronze medal for “Sticks of Fans—ivory, bone, wood, etc.” Another eleven or so other fans exhibited by The Crown Perfumery Company were awarded prizes.
It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Oh, to have pictures of the fantastic fans on display in the Crown showrooms! I can only offer you a few pictures, so we must all be content with the following descriptions:
A fan painted on kid; the subject, Shakespeare reading before Queen Elizabeth I on the upper part, whilst on the brim was a scene from ‘Hamlet’; mounted in mother-of-pearl.
Birds among pink roses, painted on silk by Felix J. Gardon, with mother-of-pearl sticks.
Cupids decorating the dormer windows of a house with roses on grey crepe with grey sticks.
Mother-of-pearl sticks, some perforated, some inlaid with gold.
White lace bearing a white gauze medallion of a Venetian boat scene, mother-of-pearl sticks and handle.
A royal wedding was celebrated on April 27th, 1882 when Queen Victoria’s eighth child, and youngest son, married Princess Helena. Prince Leopold presented his bride with an exquisite fan.
Among the costly gifts presented by H.R.H. Prince Leopold to the Princess Helena de Waldeek, is a fan, of which a private view was permitted before delivery at the Crown Perfumery Company, 177, New Bond Street. The sticks are of the purest goldfish pearl, inlaid with gold garlands and detached Louis XVI floral designs in three different shades of gold. The sticks taper up, bearing the same adornments, ever diminishing in depth of shade and proportions, until they are, in fact, lighter than the admirable lace leaf which they support. This artistic fairy tissue repeats in embossed garlands of marguerites the design carried out in gold on the sticks. [25]
[23] Griggs, W. Illustrated Pamphlet of Photo-Chromo-Lithography. Electric and Daylight Studios. London: 1882, 37.
[24] The Lady’s Realm. November 1896-April 1897.
[25] Newcastle Courant etc. (Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England). 21 April 1882. Feminine Fashions and Fancies.
