Born and educated in Southern California, Margaret Bzovy has been the host for the Western Writers Chat Group on AOL since 1997, writing articles for the monthly newsletter as well as arranging guest appearances on the hour-long chat event that meets every Monday. She is a member of Western Writers of America, working as
a California Ambassador for the membership committee under Chairman Larry Brown. She has also written various nonfiction historical articles for the online American Western Magazine, and for the Tumbleweed
Newspaper in Tombstone, Arizona. She lives with her husband, Ed, at the same home where they raised their eight children. Marge is also a member of the NRA, National Outlaw and Lawman Association, and the Southern California Historical Society.
What mysterious message does the dignified lady reveal as she flutters the fan in her hand? How can an innocent, delicate half circle fan be used to communicate?
The well dressed lady standing in the crowded Governor's ball room opened the light blue fan in her right hand and lightly twirled the lovely arch in a half circle while her matching blue eyes stared shamelessly at the elegantly dressed gentleman who had just entered the room. She suddenly switched the fan to her left hand and held it in front of her face to lightly fluctuate the air. Then she closed the fan and held it to her chin.
He was dressed in the dark blue suit of a Cavalry Union officer. His dark brown eyes caught every movement of her dainty hand and the silent message she conveyed with the fan was immediately known. He had studied at the best university. Included with his general studies, he learned the gentleman's informative lessons of the messages of the proper woman's fan. At first he thought this was humorous and without merit. However, he found out from other officers, who had attended several affluent parties that they met wonderful, lovely ladies by simply being aware of the messages the young ladies fanned at them. There had to be something to this, so he had studied well. Now, at his first important Governor's dance party, he had been "fanned." She had just conveyed to him that she was interested in making his acquaintance and thought him attractive. What a delight! He was immediately attracted to her and understood that the way had been opened to meet her. All he had to do was introduce him self and engage her in conversation.
The fan had always been used to convey the ladies intimate thoughts and if he were a trained, educated gentleman then he would know the signals. He crossed the room to bow and announce his name to this beautiful woman. The message she waved when he entered the room to get his attention was when she twirled the fan in her right hand that indicated, "I am watching you." When she quickly changed the fan to her left hand and lightly fanned her face she revealed the message, "I am desirous of your acquaintance." Then holding the closed fan to her chin she let him know, she thought him attractive.
A young respectable lady of the 1800s interested in courtship, with her parental permission, followed their schooling instructions of suitable flirtatious techniques using the fan to attract only the highly educated men while attending certain ball room affairs or social teas. For certain, he would know her very secret message and be gentleman enough to engage in a correct conversation.
The rambling cowboy off the trails would not be concerned with her fan or understand her desired message (if she even made an attempt to signal him) and only would know that she was attractive and would find his own way to make her acquaintance, if she wanted to meet him or not.
The fan came to America in the 19th century made of delicate, decorative materials with unusual designs. Some were made from feathers, wood, silk, ivory and stiff paper or woven with interesting materials. Expensive silver and gold made attractive patterns when inserted into the arrangement.
Perfumed fans that emitted sweet smells were highly popular with the fashionable ladies, as they believed the aroma would enhance a suitor's attention. A ribbon or light chain was attached to the end of the fan with the other end pinned to the waist of the ladies garment. She could release the fan and let it fall within the folds of her gown, always there for her to use whenever the moment of curiosity arose for her to convey her needs.
Hand-held fans have been used for centuries. From old Egyptian art work, the drawings revealed women holding fans. China made artistic ceramics figures holding fans. Chinese intricately carved fans of ivory or fine smelling sandalwood are dated back as far as the Ming Dynasty of 1368 - 1644 AD. Ancient Greeks wrote poetry calling the fans "scepters" used by their beautiful women.
Romans considered fans objects of collectable value while Great Britain used them for what they were intended, as cooling devices. Their fashions dictated that a properly dressed woman must have a fan.
People coming to the new country of America brought their fans, which soon became a fashionable item of proper dress. Indicating a station of upper class, the fan was a good source of cooling air in a hot humid room. Women fluttered their fans to feel cool while conversing with friends. Even some men used them at parties or elaborate gatherings to brush away the heat and keep cool. With a room full of fans one could imagine the cooling air being stirred along with the hot conversations.
Semi-circled fans were made with several types of coverings. They used silks, animal skins, lace or paper that were attractively painted and decorated with different designs. This material was glued to light stick pieces that expand when fanned open. The outside sticks on the fans are made slightly thicker to frame and protect the inside sticks. The sticks can be of any type of material as long as they are a certain thickness and length. Most commonly they are made of wood, carved ivory, horns, bones, stripped tortoiseshell, or feather bones.
The broken fan or "brise" was made of individual carved stick pieces that were pierced with various holes to hold the materials together with ribbon, straws or lengths of slender pieces of hide. The handsomely made fans opened approximately 160 degrees.
Interestingly enough, spy holes were introduced and inserted cleverly within the folds of the fan. A lady could cover her face and secretly view the room to find the most interesting man of her choice and send out her intended message. Mirrors have been known to be mounted on the very end of the fan so she could view her own looks or see what interesting man might be behind her. Later, single concave lens were mounted in the spy hole as a method for better eyesight. What a magnificent method of spying for a lady well versed in code. She could attract whomever she needed to and fan her message to the correct person.
Some ladies devised messages to be used that could not be detected by others. Who would think that a demure, lovely lady would be sending code across the room or waving what she knew from her carriage as she traveled? What message did she have? Did she know the secret movement of troops? Did she know a certain important plan that the other side could use? What were her affiliations? Whose side did she favor? Was she sent from the Southern lines to find out Union situations? Many women became spies for the country they loved and wanted to win and probably the fan was used for such purposes.
The fan that took nine years to make was probably the most unusual of fans. The favorite mistress of King Louis XV was Madame Pompadour, who received a fan so elaborate that the maker took nine long years to fashion and have approved. Made of precious stones, gold metals, carved diamonds and elaborate materials decorated with expensive lace, the fan displayed carved medallions bordered with meticulous miniature metals some being so small a magnifying glass was needed to see the designs.
In general the fan was used to convey intimate messages from her ladyship to the fair gentleman of her choice, who had been schooled to understand them. A few examples of the language of the fan:
Fanning quickly revealed, "I am engaged."
Fanny slowly, "I am married."
A fan in the right hand in front of her face, "Follow me."
Fanning with the left hand in front of her face, "I desire to make your acquaintance."
Slowly opening and shutting the fan, "Give me a kiss"
Very slowly shut the open fan, "I promise to marry you."
Open the fan wide, "Wait for me."
Carrying the fan in the right hand, "You are too willing."
Carrying the fan in the left hand, "Come talk to me."
Twirling the fan in the right hand, "I am watching you."
Twirling the fan in the left hand, "I love another."
Today, the glorious fan is seldom used. More likely the fan has been forgotten and the intimate exchange of messages are now left to a woman's body language: a hand to motion for a man to approach, a set frown to stay away, or her "come hither" eyes.
Sources for this article obtained from:
The Language of the Fan, The Flutter of the Fan
http://geocities.comvictorianlace19/fans.html
Brief History of Fans
http://www.hand-fan.org/FANwebsite/resources/history.htm
No material on this website may be excerpted, copied, reproduced, used or performed in any form (graphic, electronic or mechanical), for any purpose without the express written permission of American Western Magazine - ReadTheWest.com and/or the author or artist of a particular work published within. Linking to this site via frames or popup box is prohibited.
