Product Spotlight: Hand Fans!

Let’s face it, unless  you’re living in Anchorage, or maybe Duluth or somewhere else “Up North” as we Floridians say, summer is hot. We’re always looking for new ways to keep our cool.

There are plenty of options out there, from cooling towels, to swimming pools to air conditioners. But there’s one that’s outlasted them all, a part of civilization almost from the beginning – the humble fan.

You could say we’re fans of fans. We’re fond of all of them, from hand fans to desk fans to big honkin’ industrial models, and everything in between. Hand fans in particular have a distinguished history, as a way to keep cool, as a fashion accessory, even as a communications device. Let’s take a look at how hand fans have evolved.

When Fans Began

The simplest definition of a hand fan is a broad, flat surface that’s waved back and forth to produce airflow. They can be made of many materials, such as leaves, paper, fabric or feathers.

There’s no exact date for the beginning of fans. The first humans on Earth probably appreciated the breeze from the waving of a palm frond or similar leaf.

How Fans Work

Fans of all kinds cool us off through the same process. The moving air flowing past us helps speed up the evaporation of sweat, making the body’s natural cooling more effective. They do become less effective, however, in hot weather when the air temperature is close to body temperature, and when humidity increases. 

More Than Functional

Hand fans as we know them today can be traced back as far as 4,000 years in ancient Egypt. Archaeologists believe early Egyptians considered fans sacred objects, and two ornate fans were discovered in King Tut’s tomb.

Indeed, fans have always been more than just functional devices. They have been objects of decoration, a means of flirting, even a way of communication during warfare.

In addition to the physical fans mentioned above, King Tut’s tomb also included depictions of elaborately decorated fans as well.

Asian Fans

Hand fans developed by artisans became an important aspect of Japanese and Chinese life in the Middle Ages. Both men and women carried fans, and they were used for many purposes. 

Japanese war fans, for example, were used to signal troops in battle. They were typically made of wood and/or metal. Commanders would raise, lower or point the fans in specific ways to transmit commands to soldiers. Other war fans also could be used as weapons.

Fancy Fans

With the advent of folding fans, believed to be a Japanese invention of around 600 A.D., artists saw them as a medium of expression. Master painters applied their talents to decorating fans. Jewels and precious metals also became part of many decorations.

By the 1600s, new trade routes brought Chinese and Japanese fans to Europe, where they were prized for their decorative beauty.  By the 1800s, some say, Victorian ladies developed a secret “language,” using fans to convey messages of interest (or lack thereof).

Secrets of the Fans

The Victorian era is known for its decorum and restraint. Yet matters of the heart still reigned, as they have since the beginning of time. Proper ladies couldn’t just speak their feelings openly to would-be suitors. So they devised a code of “speaking” via the movement and positioning of the folding hand fans they carried at all times. 

Or so some say. Others say the so-called “Language of the Fans” was a mere legend, a marketing ploy created by a fan maker to boost sales. 

A series of gestures with fans could convey volumes to someone in the know. For the gentleman across the room, a fan carried in the right hand in front of a lady’s face meant “I want to get to know you.” If the fan was carried in the left hand the same way, it meant “Follow me.”

A fan twirled in the left hand warned “We are being watched.” A fan drawn across the cheek declared “I love you,” while one placed on the left ear said “I wish to be rid of you.”

The London branch of French fan maker Duvelleroy published these and related “fan language” in a pamphlet in the mid-1800s. It led to a boost in fan sales, and the company was named fan maker to the Queen. 

Relaunched in 2010, Duvelleroy offers fashion and luxury fans today. The luxury fans are hand-crafted to order, and are priced “upon request.” No word on whether that includes a translation guide for the secret language.

Church Fans

By the end of the 19th century, promotional fans were popular. They remained so into the 1940s, even as hand fans in general declined as a fashion accessory.

In the first half of the 1900s, air conditioning was prohibitively expensive for many institutions. This led to the popularity of church fans. Made from heavy card stock and a simple wooden handle, they were a godsend in packed churches on hot summer days.

Church fans typically feature a religious scene printed on one side, and advertising for a local business on the other. Businesses such as funeral homes donated the fans to the churches in exchange for the advertising advantage.

Promotional Fans Today

Even with air conditioning nearly everywhere, church fans remain popular today. And fans as a promotional tool aren’t limited to just churches.

Powered fans just aren’t practical for many outdoor settings. That’s where hand fans enter the picture. They’re a solution when you need to keep cool at summertime events.

Custom promotional fans can be made in the traditional church fan style, or with newer materials such as plastic and nylon. They help your guests stay comfortable at outdoor weddings, company picnics and other events. 

Today’s fans can be printed in full color on one or both sides, and are available in a variety of shapes and sizes to suit just about any occasion. Modern fans are just as useful as they’ve ever been. If you’d like to find out more about promotional fans for your organization, call or email us.