Fan

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Souvenir fans were popular accessories in the second half of the 19th century, especially those commemorating important public events such as the newly conceived idea of internatilan expositions for displaying products of the industrial revolution. This example is from the Centennial International Exposition in Philadelphia. The finely detailed depiction of the fairground buildings is presented in three vignettes; the attention to detail is made evident in the depiction of the costumes worn by the strolling figures. They are up to the minute bustle dresses, appropriately short-skirted dresses for young girls and hip-length jackets for the men.

The Costume Institute

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Costume Institute's collection of more than thirty-three thousand objects represents seven centuries of fashionable dress and accessories for men, women, and children, from the fifteenth century to the present.

Metropolitan Museum of Art