Jane Austen's World

I can’t believe it’s been a day since the excitement of my first JASNA (Jane Austen Society of America) Annual Meeting. This one was held in Brooklyn, which turned out to be a fabulous place for this Janeite, for I walked over half of the Brooklyn Bridge between sessions and loitered in Brooklyn Heights, a truly wonderful neighborhood in which to while away one’s time. Then there were the plenary sessions, break out sessions and the EMPORIUM, where money flowed from my pocket into the vendors’. (I had to ship my loot back!)

Feather fan. Only some discoloration and one blemish flaw this otherwise remarkably preserved fan.

One of the loveliest displays was the antique fan exhibition presented by Dr. Abbey Block Cash. The variety of fans was astounding. One, made entirely of feathers, was in almost pristine condition (see image). The fans were so delicate that I would be afraid to handle them and many were hand painted. One in particular caught my eye … a puzzle fan from 1820:

The fan is made of French brise with blond horn sticks. The four images that open in four directions are:

• Bouquet of flowers
• Marriage proposal
• Farm house
• Planting scene

I went to the website suggested in the brochure, the Fan Association of North America is: http://fanassociation.org/projects.htm. Information on this site was varied and practical. What I liked in particular were the links to other fan sites. FANA is well worth a visit and exploration if you are interested in these beautiful yet practical accessories.

Not all the fans belonged to the Regency Era. As you can see, most are hand painted with exquisite scenes. The last fan in this video was made ca. 1910 (I hope my memory serves me right) and depicts scenes painted by Kate Greenaway. It is obvious from the quality of the fans that all were destined for the upper crust. I did not see a fan of the sort that the lower classes could afford, such as those with advertisements. (Because I did not see such fans, does not mean that they were absent.)

I wish I had the presence of mind to ask about the language of the fan, for there are so many myths swirling around that topic, but those of you who have been to an AGM know how much there is to see and do, and how many people one MUST meet NOW.

The red fan was exquisite and dramatic. The fan in back of it sports Kate Greenaway images of children.

There were some notable absences at this year’s AGM: I so wanted to meet my frequent blog partner Laurel Ann Nattres (editor of Jane Austen Made Me Do It and Austenprose) and Margaret Sullivant (editrix of Austenblog), but alas they did not come this year. You will see over the coming weeks the people I DID meet, such as Joan Klingel Ray, Susannah Fullerton, Deb Barnum (my lovely roommate), Lori Smith, Syrie James, and Dianah Baycich. Some of us fell all over each other like twins separated at birth. Every Janeite should make at least one JASNA Meeting. You simply will not be disappointed. I must add that the folks from JASNA NY did a splendid job of putting this complex (and largest) JASNA conference together. Kudos to all.

Read my other post from the AGM:

• Shades from Jane Austen

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Posted in Jane Austen's World, Regency Life, Regency Period, Regency society, Regency style | Tagged Brooklyn JASNA, Fan Association of North America, JASNA AGM 2012, Regency Fans | 34 Comments

34 Responses

1. on October 8, 2012 at 09:29 Gayle Mills

   Now I’ve started off my Monday morning jealous. Thanks, Vic. :)

   
   
2. on October 8, 2012 at 09:53 Caroline

   Hopefully one day I will get to one of these – I’ve never heard of them in Australia. Makes me smile to think how astonished Jane Austen herself would be to learn of such an organisation.

   
   
   • on October 8, 2012 at 09:55 Vic

     Hi Caroline, Susannah Fullterton, president of JASA in Australia, will be holding a fabulous Jane Austen conference in spring of 2013. You MUST go to their site and find out where it will be held. You will not be disappointed.

     
     
     • on October 8, 2012 at 21:55 LordBeariOfBow

       Is that Australia’s spring and your autumn or the other way around?

       
       
3. on October 8, 2012 at 10:43 janeaustensequels

   I love fans-gorgeous post, Vic. Sadly, I don’t have any, but I think you might just have tempted me to start looking…

   
   
4. on October 8, 2012 at 13:56 Robin Colburn

   Fans decorate my living room and bedroom walls-like portraits or landscapes. I buy them in San Antonio, Texas, where they’re an accessory for Latina dancers. None of them historic or hand painted, alas, but quite pretty with lace and gilt inserts. Will the future ohh & ahh over the mass produced, I wonder?

   
   
5. on October 8, 2012 at 14:01 Beth

   So glad you had a lovely time, Vic! I was there too and this was my third AGM (attended Chicago in 2008 and Portland, OR in 2010 also). I didn’t have a chance to meet you even though I wanted too-I inquired as to which table you were at for Saturday’s banquet but they cleared the room so quickly after dinner that I missed a chance to come over and introduce myself.

   
   
   • on October 8, 2012 at 14:04 Vic

     Oh, too bad. I understand it was the largest AGM, and with so many people there (and no list of participants in my packet) it was hard to connect with people. Hope to meet up with you next time.

     
     
     • on October 8, 2012 at 14:09 Beth

       I don’t think they included a list of participants this year which was a change from the previous AGM’s I’ve attended. Maybe the number of participants made it a challenge to do that! I plan on attending Minneapolis next year (unless life intervenes to change that) so if you are there, I will certainly say hello!

       
       
6. on October 8, 2012 at 14:16 aurora

   Thank you for sharing this with us. I really enjoyed reading it.

   
   
7. on October 8, 2012 at 14:40 Deborah Yaffe

   I was also at the AGM, and was also disappointed in the lack of a participants’ list. When I enquired at the registration desk, they told me that printing one was cost-prohibitive, but that they would email the list after the conference to anyone who asked. If you’re interested, even now after the fact, you might try emailing the AGM organizers with a request.

   
   
   • on October 8, 2012 at 15:43 Vic

     Thanks, Deborah. That is what I am planning to do!

     
     
8. on October 8, 2012 at 15:29 Maureen O'Connor

   I so wished I got to meet you – I know your roommate from Jane Austen weekends in Vermont and I follow your posts every day and am amazed at the number of topics that you cover and how they relate to our Miss Jane!

   
   
9. on October 8, 2012 at 15:48 Janet Mullany

   Weren’t those fans amazing! I managed to see them just before they packed up. I too loved Brooklyn. Sorry I missed you there, Vic.

   
   
10. on October 8, 2012 at 16:00 Jorge Castilla Casares

    I can’t believe we were both there and we never met :(

    
    
    • on October 8, 2012 at 16:04 Vic

      I SAW you, and wondered why you seemed familiar, but I was always talking to someone. It was so hard to meet everyone. So sorry we missed the opportunity.

      
      
11. on October 8, 2012 at 17:00 Bev

    I was at the AGM and you are right, so much to do:) I think JASNA-NY did a wonderful job! I wanted to meet the faces behind my favorite blogs, but everyone looked liked they were having too much fun (I didn’t want to interrupt). Thanks for passing along the videos of the fans. I missed that one, but enjoyed all the sessions I attended. Some of my high lights were “off stage” when I visited the Anne Frank Center, ran across the Brooklyn Bridge and saw “Wicked”.

    
    
    • on October 8, 2012 at 17:43 Vic

      Yes, my walk over the Brooklyn Bridge and 2 hours spent wandering around Brooklyn Heights, having lunch, and gazing at NY from river’s edge were memorable. The Morgan Library was a treat as well. I will be placing TMI on the blog. At the end, folks will be tired of my gushing.

      
      
12. on October 8, 2012 at 17:46 Vic

    The Compleat Housewife, Jane Austen and Crime, Jane Austen in Lime Regis, four fabulous Rowlandson prints of Dr. Syntax scenes (I will be featuring them), Lady Vernon and her daughter, and others I can’t recall because I packed them as soon as I purchased them. I was tempted to purchase a Bingley’s tea, but I was already overpacked in my small suitcase and worried about the product, which can be ordered online!

    
    
    • on October 9, 2012 at 15:44 Beth

      Have not read the others you purchased, but you will love Lady Vernon and her Daughter. Definitely try Bingley’s Teas; they are delicious and the proprietress, Julia, is such a lovely person.

      
      
13. on October 8, 2012 at 19:33 Cassidy

    What gorgeous fans! And in such good shape, especially the eighteenth century ones. I’ve seen horn brisé fans, but never with that kind of puzzle painting on them.

    I did a bit on the “secret fan language” thing, and I’m pretty sure it only seriously existed in Andalusia, and was used as a promotional tool by fan-makers in the later Victorian era.

    
    
14. on October 8, 2012 at 21:53 LordBeariOfBow

    What exquisite workmanship

    
    
15. on October 9, 2012 at 01:25 suzan

    Absolutely gorgeous fans. I didn’t really pay attention to them much until menopause. :) now I pay much more attention to fans and the detail. I only have 2 lace fans but none of the ones I’ve been given are finely detailed like these of course. I would have loved to see them myself. Your wandering and convention sounds like a good time.

    
    
16. on October 9, 2012 at 08:52 Shades from Jane Austen: « Jane Austen's World

    […] Comments « Antique Fans from the Regency Era […]

    
    
17. on October 10, 2012 at 02:19 syriejames

    Vic!!! It was so wonderful to meet you at the AGM! I wish we’d had more of a chance to talk. It was such a whirlwind that I can’t even remember half of what I did or who I spoke with, but I remember talking to you… And then somehow we got distracted and I think we didn’t get to finish our conversation. Every minute was allocated and not enough time for everything, especially with the two rehearsals we had to squeeze in for our play, The Austen Assizes. I too spent a small fortune at the Emporium, buying blue and white stoneware (pitcher, creamer, plates, and bowls) in a Yorkshire pattern (Laurel Ann inspired the purchase; she collects blue and white stoneware, too), along with a Regency era framed print and two gorgeous shawls. My husband and I both especially enjoyed the Lady Susan performance and Anna Q’s talk. I went to the antique fan talk but somehow missed the exhibition! So glad you recapped it. It was a great time, wasn’t it?

    
    
    • on October 10, 2012 at 07:17 Vic

      Syrie, I saw that blue and white creamware and was tempted to purchase it, for I too am a blue and white china collector. Great minds, great taste? I think so.

      Yes, I had hoped to reconnect with you as well. I have a short video of you and Bill dancing, which I will place on this blog eventually. Alas and alack I am off to another conference and won’t get to the dance videos or Assize videos any time soon. Minneapolis, maybe. Montreal, definitely. Hope to hook up then.

      Kudos to you and Diana for writing such a funny and entertaining play!

      
      
18. on October 10, 2012 at 08:58 ellaquinnauthor

    Reblogged this on Ella Quinn ~ Author and commented:
    These fans are so beautiful. Thanks, Vic.

    
    
19. on October 10, 2012 at 09:00 ellaquinnauthor

    Vic, those fans are so lovely. Thanks for the post.

    
    
20. on October 12, 2012 at 10:15 Rowlandson’s Dr. Syntax Visits a Boarding School for Young Ladies « Jane Austen's World

    […]  Antique fans from the Regency Era Share with others:Like this:LikeBe the first to like this. […]

    
    
21. on October 16, 2012 at 04:17 bluffkinghal

    These fans are so exquisite. However, I think Japanese fans are some of the most awesome ever made. The detailing in them is superb! http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=antique+japanese+fans

    Glad to know you had a great time.

    
    
22. on October 18, 2012 at 06:48 Ana

    Oh dear, they’re all so beautiful and the puzzle one is so interesting.

    It’s nice to hear you all had such a wonderful time at the JASNA Meeting.

    
    
23. on October 22, 2012 at 13:51 Olivia Andem

    Did you observe the circa 1815 fans were markedly smaller than the later ones? Thanks for sharing this great post.

    
    
24. on December 16, 2012 at 01:53 Happy Birthday Jane Austen! ~ The Ten Best Reasons to Go to a JASNA AGM ~ It’s All About You Jane! « Jane Austen in Vermont

    […] As I only took a few pictures, I direct you to Vic’s fabulous post and videos on this exhibition: https://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/2012/10/08/antique-fans-from-the-regency-era/ […]

    
    
25. on April 3, 2013 at 15:00 Bom domingo com Jane Austen | Jane Austen em Português

    […] from Jane Austen” & “Antique Fans from the Regency Era” | Jane Austen’s […]

    
    

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