The Ephemera Society of America

"Advertising Hand Fans, Keeping the Product at Hand"

"Historical Hand Fans, History in the Palm of Your Hand"

Cynthia Fendel began collecting and researching hand fans in 1974, while on tour with an Actors Equity production of Noel Coward's Bittersweet. In the production, her character held a prop fan and so her interest in hand fans began. After years of collecting, she helped form FANA, Fan Association of North America, a not-for-profit educational and charitable organization with members united to promote hand fans as art and historical artifacts. She is also a member of The Fan Circle International in the UK, the French Cercle de Ĺ Eventail and a life member of The Fan Museum in Greenwich, England as well as on the board of directors of the Hand Fan Museum in Healdsburg, CA, America's only museum devoted to hand fans. Cynthia is also a proud member of the Ephemera Society of America and the Costume Society of America of America. She conducts fan appraisals both in person as well as via the Internet. Her personal collection varies from 18th century European fans to American 1950's advertising fans. She maintains an educational not-for-profit web site called All About Hand Fans with Cynthia Fendel which can be found within her business web site, www.handfanpro.com. Her Featured Fans page changes seasonally, allowing the www community to view fans from her collection. She shares her collection via her programs, using a laptop PC and projector. She is one of the first in the antique world to use this technology, which allows the audience to enjoy a vast display of colorful fans along with a lively and entertaining narration. These well-received presentations include Advertising Hand Fans, Historical Hand Fans, Novelty Hand Fans, Fans of the Victorian Era, Fans of Romance and Flowers That Bloom on Fans.

PUBLISHED WORKS
Books:
Novelty Hand Fans, Fashionable Functional Fun Accessories of the Past 2006
Celluloid Hand Fans 2001
Fans of Flight - The Airline Advertising Fan Catalogue 1999
Magazines & Periodicals:
FANA Journal, Marie Caroline Post's Novelty Fan, Spring 2008
Collectors News, Fans of Beauty, March 2007
The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles Bouquet and Floral Fans, February 2007
Ephemera News, Novelty Fans – Fantastic, Cool & Clever Advertising! Winter 2007
FANA Journal, Paul de Longpré, Floral Painter and Fan Painter, Fall 2005 & Spring 2006
Antiques Week, No Pruning Needed for Floral Fans, April 5, 2004
Fans –The Bulletin of The Fan Circle International, Fans from the World's Columbian Exposition, winter 2002
Antiques Week Newspaper, Patriotism Exhibited in Flag Fans, April 21, 2003
Chicago Tribune, Fan Not As Old As Advertised, Leslie Hindman's Guest Fan Expert for What's it Worth, Feb.2, 2003
Fans – The Bulletin of The Fan Circle International, Fans of the Spirit of St. Louis, Summer 2002
Fans – The Bulletin of The Fan Circle International Researching Fans on the Internet, Winter/Spring 2000
Soda Pop Dreams, A Fan of Soda Pop Fans, Volume 1 Number 5, 1998
Fan Association of North America Quarterly, Shirley Temple Fans Fall 1996
Fan Association of North America Quarterly, Dionne Quintuplet Fans Fall 1993
REFERENCED
Fans – The Bulletin of The Fan Circle International, The Star Spangle Banner Fan & Mourning Fan "Summer 2009
FANA Journal, Japanese Parasol Handle With Fan Spring 2007
FANA Journal, The Rare Bird Fans & Signature Evolution of Paul Maucherat de Longpré Spring 2007
Fan Museum. Healdsburg, CA, 3/2008 Catalogue Transported by Fans, Planes, Trains, Ships & Automobiles
Real Estate Magazine, Mendocino Coast Property A Fan-Tastic Tale: A History of Fans 2/8/08
Fan Museum (London) Catalogue Come to the Ball 3/28-7/23/07, Fan #45 pg. 23
Antiques Roadshow Insider Keep You Cool 8/2008
Fan Museum (London) Catalogue Fanning the Senses 3/13/07 – 7/1/07, pg 160
Lo scettro delle Dame, Fans in the Checcoli Collection Anna Checcoli, Italy, March 2007, #19, #36
Fan Museum (London) Catalogue An American Collection 9/24/03 - 1/04/04, many references
Antiques Week, The Antiques Barometer (Fans)
Antique Trader, From Battlefield to Bedroom – Hand Fans Have Storied, Colorful History, March 3, 2004
Fan Museum (London) Catalogue An American Collection 9/24/03 - 1/0404
Dallas Morning News Fan Fare, Celebrating Those Precious Tools That Keep Us Cool, 8/23/03
Christie's South Kensington's FANS catalogues, ec.5, 2000 page 6 Lot #35 & page 18, Lot #175, May 19, 2000, page 12 Lot #92, May 23, 2000, page 34 Lot #329,Dec. 4, 2001, page 31 Lot #247
Kingfisher Blue, Treasures of an Ancient Chinese Art, Beverly Jackson, page 162
Miller's Collectables Price Guide Airline Advertising Fan 1996-1997 pg.15
ETCetera, Journal of the Early Typewriter Collectors Assoc., Olympia Typewriter Fan #55, 9/01
Wichita Register Artful Breezes, Spring 2002
AWARDS
Presented "Novelty Hand Fans, Frequently Overlooked Fashionable, Functional, Fun Accessories of the Past" a research exhibit, at the Costume Society of America Annual Symposium May 2005 awarded from a juried paper.
Awarded the Fan Circle International (UK) Martin Wilcox Prize for best researched Fan-related article 2003.
EXHIBITED
Transported by Fans, The Hand Fan Museum, Healdsburg, CA March – May 2008
Novelty Hand Fans, Fan Association of North America, Tulsa, OK 2007
Women and Art Nouveau Fans, Louvre de Antiques, Paris, France, 11/29/05-12/31
Contemporary Fans, The Fan Museum, London, England, 2/04/03- 6/1/03
Collector's Choice, The Fan Museum, London, England, 5/16/95-10/1/95

Liz Keeley
The Hand Fan Museum
327A Healdsburg Avenue
Healdsburg, CA 95448
707-431-2500 |
handfanmuseum@yahoo.com

Mrs. Héléne Alexander
The Fan Museum
12 Crooms Hill, Greenwich, London England SE10 8ER
Phone: 020 8305 1441
http://www.fan-museum.org

Professional Actress – A member of Actors Equity, Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA

Fan Speaking Engagements
Fan Association of North America, El Paso TX (4/4/09)
Forney Garden Club, Forney TX (2/17/09)
International Women's Club of North Texas (2/28/2008)
Bay View Century Club, Dallas TX (11/1/2007)
Tennessee Fitness Spa, Waynesboro, TN (8/14/2007)
Denton Handweavers Guild, Denton, TX (2/3/2007)
Presbyterian Village North, Dallas, TX (10/19/2006)
Heritage Farmstead Museum, Plano, TX (7/20/06)
Oak Cliff Lecture Luncheon Club, Dallas, TX (1/27/06)
Fan Circle International, Newcastle England, UK (5/21/05)
Victorian Elegance Antique Show, Richardson Civic Center, Richardson, TX (2/20/05)
Wisconsin Historical Society (11/4/04)
Fan Association of North America, Oakland, CA (4/24/04)
Melshire Women's Club, Dallas TX (4/2204)
Village Gardner's, Highland Park, Dallas TX (2/12/04)
Colleyville Woman's Club, Colleyville Civic Center, Colleyville TX (2/10/04)
Dallas Southern Memorial Group, Royal Oaks Country Club (1/21/04)
Hope Lutheran Church Victorian Tea, Cedar Hill, TX, (10/25/03)
Victorian Elegance Antique Show, Richardson Civic Center, Richardson, TX (2/23/03)
Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX (11/10/02)
Prestonwood Community Club, Dallas, TX (11/7/02)
PEO of Plano, Colin County Museum, Mc Kinney, TX (11/6/02)
Richardson Women's Club, Richardson, TX (10/31/02)
Fiber Artist of Dallas (10/28/02)
Historic Waco Foundation, Waco Country Club. Waco, TX (8/8/02)
El Dorado Retirement Living, Richardson, TX (7/18/02)
Pinecrest Country Club "Ladies Day" Longview, TX (4/17/02)
Rockwall Newcomers Club, Rockwall, TX (4/11/02)
The Collectors Antique Club, Dallas, TX (4/9/02)
Chapter EZ PEO Sisterhood, Dallas, TX (3/19/02)
The Sesame Club, Hillsboro, TX (2/7/02)
Dallas Needlework & Textile Guild, Dallas, TX (11/6/01)
Certified Public Accountant Wives of Dallas, Royal Oaks Country Club, Dallas, TX (11/25/01)
Highland Park Presbyterian Church, Dallas, TX (9/14/01)
Victorian Elegance Antique Show, Richardson Civic Center, Richardson, TX, (2/9/00)
Greenhouse Spa, Grand Prairie, TX, (13 engagements January 1999 through May 2000)
Fan Association of North America, NY, New York (4/28/00)
Ellis County Museum Inc Annual Membership Meeting, Waxahachie (7/31/99)
The Antiquers Club, Dallas TX (1/12/99)
Fan Association of North America, Tulsa, OK (10/10/98)
Fort Worth Collectors Study Club Fort Worth, TX (8/24/97)
Town North Antique Club, Dallas TX (3/12/96)
Preston Forest Collectors Club, Dallas TX (10/27/93)
The Heirloom Club, Waxahachie TX (8/24/92)