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This bibliography provides details of some of the better known publications about fans, both generally and for more specific research areas.
General Titles
Alexander, Hélène, Fans, 2002, Shire Publications, ISBN 978-0747804024
Alexander, Hélène, Fans, 1984, Batsford, ISBN 071344276X
Armstrong, Nancy, Fans: A Collector’s Guide, 1990, Souvenir Press, ISBN 978-0285629875
Armstrong, Nancy, The Book of Fans, 1984, Smithmark, ISBN 978-0831709525
Armstrong, Nancy, A Collector’s History of Fans, 1974, Littlehampton, ISBN 978-0289703946
Blondel, Spire, Histoire des Eventails chez tous les Peuples et à toutes les Epoques, et suivi des Notices sur l’Ecaille, la Nacre et l’Ivoire, 1875, reprint on demand 2020, Librarie Renouard/True World of Books
Buss, Georg, Der Fächer, 1904, Velhagen & Klasing
Catalini, Carla, Waaiers, 1966, van Dishoeck
Finnegan, Kathryn, Hand Fans: An Illustrated History, 2016, CreateSpace, ISBN 978-1519438294
Flory, M. A., A book about Fans: the History of Fans and Fan Painting, 1895, republished 2018, Macmillan/Franklin Classics, ISBN 978-0342112449. Also available as an e-book.
Green, Bertha de Vere, A Collector’s Guide to Fans over the Ages, 1975, Muller, ISBN 978-0584101010
Hart, Avril & Taylor, Emma, Fans, 1998, V & A Publications, ISBN 1851772138
Mayor, Susan, Collecting Fans, 1980, Studio Vista, ISBN 978-0289708811
Mayor, Susan, The Letts Guide to Collecting Fans, 1991, Letts, ISBN 978-1852381288
Percival, MacIver, The Fan Book, 1920, reprint on demand 2020, T. Fisher Unwin/True World of Books
Perthuis, Françoise de & Meylan, Vincent, Eventails, 1989, Hermé, ISBN 978-2866650919
Uzanne, Octave, The Fan, 1884, republished 2013, JC Nimmo & Bain/Isha Books, ISBN 978-9333002622. Also available as an e-book.
Woolliscroft Rhead, George, History of the Fan, 1910, Kegan Paul
Specific Topics
Armstrong, Nancy, Fans in Spain, 2004, Philip Wilson, ISBN 978-0856675942
Bull, Donald & Roger, Rodolphe, Fans: Advertising and Souvenir, 2012, Schiffer, ISBN 978-0764340024
Collier, Ann, Lace Fans, 2005, Batsford, ISBN 978-0713489316
DeLeo, Thomas, The Art & Artistry of Chinese folding fan frames, 2001, Privately published
Fendel, Cynthia, Novelty Hand Fans, 2006, Hand Fan Productions, ISBN 978-0970885210
Fendel, Cynthia, Celluloid Hand Fans, 2001, Hand Fan Productions, ISBN 978-0970885203
Fendel, Cynthia, Fans of Flight: The Airline Advertising Fan Catalogue, 1999, Privately published
Frazier, Mary S., Hunt and Allen Fans Revisited, 2019, Braintree Historical Society, ISBN 978-0578474120
Hutt, Julia & Alexander, Hélène, Ogi: A History of the Japanese Fan, 1992, Dauphin, ISBN 978-1872357089
Irons, Neville John, Fans of Imperial China, 1982, Kaiserreich Kunst, ISBN 9780090791804
Irons, Neville John, Fans of Imperial Japan, 1982, Kaiserreich Kunst, ISBN 9780907918011
Ishizumi Fan Co. (Ed. Stephen Turner), Folding Fans: Their Origins and Development, 2020, Grosvenor House, ISBN 978-1786232274
Malpas, Evelyn, Fragrance and Fans, 1998, Privately published
Mazura, Margaretha, Kunst u. Koketterie: Wiener Fächer 1860-1916, 2021, myMorawa, ISBN 9783991290155
Melville, Beryl, The Fan and Lace, 1991, Lochlea
Payen-Appenzeller, Pascal, Fancy Fans – The Art of Collectables, 2000, ISBN 978-2914199131 – [published in French and English]
Salsi, Claudio, I Ventagli di Carta/Paper Fans, 1988, BE-MA, ISBN 978-8871430638
North, Audrey, Australia’s Fan Heritage, 1985, Boolarong, ISBN 978-0864390011
Salwey, Charlotte, Fans of Japan, 1894, reprint on demand 2020, Kegan Paul/True World of Books
Sefrioui, Anne, Eventails Impressionistes, 2012, Citadelles et Mazenod, ISBN 978-2850885389
Sica, Grazia Gobbi, Il Ventaglio Pubblicitario 1890-1940, 1991, Cantini, ISBN 978-8877371331
Volet, Maryse, Imagination and its Contribution to Fans: Patents deposited in France in the 19th Century, 1986, Geneva, ISBN 978-2882260024 [published in French and English]
Volet, Maryse, Patents for Fans filed in France during the 20th Century, 1992, Geneva, ISBN 978-2882260032 [published in French and English]
Walberg, Gretchen, Fans patented in the United States, 1997, Privately published
Willcocks, Clive & Yvonne, Fans and Fan Makers: The Craft and History of the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers, 2000, The Worshipful Company of Fan Makers
Catalogues
Alexander, Hélène, Alexandre: Fan Maker to the Courts of Europe, 2012, The Fan Museum, ISBN 978-0954031978
Alexander, Hélène, The Fan Museum, 2002, Third Millennium, ISBN 978-0954031916
Alexander, Hélène & Harris, Russell, Cool: Presenting a Cooling Image, 2007, The Fan Museum, ISBN 978-0954031947
Armstrong, Nancy, Fans from the Fitzwilliam: A selection from the Messel-Rosse Collection, 1995, Fitzwilliam Museum Enterprises, ISBN 978-0904454192
Barbé-Conti, Marie-Clémence, Duvelleroy : Treasures of the Parisian Couture Handfan, 2019, In Fine, ISBN 978-2902302543 [published in French and English]
Barisch, Marie-Luise & Günter, Fächer : Spiegelbilder ihrer Ziet, 2003, Hirmer, ISBN 978-377749920x (The Collection of the Deutsches Fächermuseum)
Benson, Anne-Marie et al, Fans of the Livery, 2016, The Worshipful Company of Fan Makers, ISBN 978-1526203717 (Exhibition at The Fan Museum, Greenwich)
Boysson, Bernadette de et al, Autant en Porte le Vent : Eventails, Histoire de Goût, 2004, Musée des Arts Decoratifs de Bordeaux, ISBN 978-2850567902
Cowen, Pamela, A Fanfare for the Sun King: Unfolding Fans for Louis XIV, 2003, Third Millennium, ISBN 978-1903942209 (Exhibition at The Fan Museum, Greenwich)
Cust, Lionel, Catalogue of the Collection of Fans and Fan Leaves presented to the Trustees of the British Museum by the Lady Charlotte Schreiber, 1893, Longmans
Daberitz, Ute, Sonnenfächer und Luftwedel, 2007, Schloss Friedenstein Gotha, ISBN 978-3939182092 (The Collection of Duke Augustus of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg)
Dente, Aldo, Ventagli: Collezioni della Fondazione Palazzo Coronini Cronberg di Gorizia, 2001, Allemandi
Du Mortier, Bianca, Waaiers en waaierbladen 1650-1800/Fans and Fan Leaves 1650-1800, 1992, Rijksmuseum (The Collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam) [Published in Dutch and English]
Eijsden, Fransje van, Wuiven met Waaiers: Waaiers van de Collectie Felix Tal, 1993, Privately published
Falluel, Fabienne et al, L’Eventail : Miroir de la Belle Epoque, 1985, Ville de Paris, ISBN 978-2901424074 (Exhibition at the Musée de la Mode et du Costume, Paris)
Ginsburg, Madeleine et al, Fans from the East, 1978, Debrett’s, ISBN 0905649222 (Exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London & the Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham)
Gray Bennett, Anna, Unfolding Beauty: The Art of the Fan, 1988, Thames and Hudson, ISBN 9780500235201 (The Collection of Esther Oldham and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)
Gray Bennett, Anna, Fans in Fashion: Selections from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, 1981, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, ISBN 378-0884010376
Kammerl, Christl, Der Fächer: Kunstobjekt und Billetdoux, 1989, Hirmer, ISBN 978-3777452708 (Exhibition at Badisches Landesmuseum, Karlsruhe)
Le Guen, Sylvain, Air à la Mode, 2011, LG Eventails, Privately published (Exhibition at The Fan Museum, Greenwich)
Letourmy, Georgina, Kees: Eventailliste Parisien, 2005, Musée de l’Eventail, ISBN 978-2952557900
Letourmy-Bordier & de los Llanos, Jose, Le siècle d’or de l’éventail du Roi-Soleil à Marie-Antoinette, 2013, Editions Faton, ISBN 978-2878441802 (Exhibition at the Musée Cognacq-Jay, Paris)
Letourmy-Bordier & Le Guen, Sylvain, L’Eventail : Matières d’excellence, 2015, OTT, ISBN 978-2953110692 (Exhibition at the Musée de la Nacre et de la Tabletterie, Méru, France)
Letourmy-Bordier, Georgina, L’Eventail de Joséphine à Eugénie, 2018, Ville de Boulogne-Billancourt (Exhibition at the Bibliothèque Paul-Marmottan, Boulogne-Billancourt, Paris)
Maros, Donka, Charming Trifles : The Fan Collection at the Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest, 2002, Iparmuvészeti Múzeum, ISBN 978-9635064809 [In Hungarian and English]
Milano Alberto & Villani, Elena, Museo d’Arti Applicate Raccolta Bertorelli: Ventole e ventagli, 1995, Electa, ISBN 978-8843545247
Mok, Edwin et al, Heavenly Breeze: The Edrina Collection of Qing Dynasty Chinese fans, Chinese Export fans and European fans, 2013, Spring Field, ISBN 978-988151523
Moller, Karin, Fächer aus drei Jahrhunderten, 1992, Schwerin, ISBN 978-3861060093 (Collection of Staatlliches Museum, Schwerin)
Nicolas, Brigitte, Un brin de panache, Eventails de Chine, 2019, Musée de la Compagnie des Indes, ISBN 978-2915726091 (Exhibition at the Musée de la Compagnie des Indes, Port-Louis, France)
Plotnikova, Julia, Fans in Russia, XVIII to beginning of XX century: From the Collection of the State Hermitage, 2019, State Hermitage Museum, ISBN 978-5-9950-0926-9 [In Russian]
Roberts, Jane et al, Unfolding Pictures: Fans in the Royal Collection, 2005, Royal Collection, ISBN 978-1902163168
Rodriguez, Isabel Tuda et al, Abanicos : La Coleccion del Museo Municipal de Madrid, 1995, Ayuntamiento de Madrid, ISBN 978-8478123452
Schreiber, Lady Charlotte, Fans and Fan Leaves: English, 1888, John Murray
Schreiber, Lady Charlotte, Fans and Fan Leaves: Foreign, 1890, John Murray
Sica, Grazia Gobbi et al, Ventagli Italiani : Moda, Costume, Arte, 1990, Marsilio Editori, ISBN 9788831753982 (Exhibition at Palazzo Pitti, Florence)
Staniland, Kay & Cumming, Valerie, Fans, 1985, ISBN 978-0904818185 (Collection of the Museum of London)
Valverde, José Luis, Abanicos des siglo XVIII en las colecciones de patrimonio nacional, 2007, Patrimonio Nacional, ISBN 978-8471204400 (Collections of the Spanish State)
van Saanen, Paul & Greenhalgh, Peter, From Court to Confectionary, 1994, IPL Imprimeries, ISBN 978-2970007002 [published in French and English]
Volet, Maryse, European Fans: From Objet d’Art to Patented Invention, 1994, Geneva, ISBN 978-2882260040 [published in French and English]
Volet, Maryse & Beentjes, Annette, Eventails, 1987, Editions Slatkine, ISBN 978-2051008248 (The collection of the Musée d’art et d’histoire, Geneva)
For the extensive list of catalogues published by The Fan Museum for exhibitions, visit www.thefanmuseum.org.uk
Academic Titles
Biger, Pierre-Henri, Sens et sujets de l’éventail européen de Louis XIV à Louis-Philippe, 2015, PhD diss., Université de Rennes
Ibbett, Katherine (Ed.), Fans – featuring The Fan Museum, Greenwich, Seventeenth-Century French Studies, Vol. 36, No. 1, June 2014
Letourmy, Georgina, La feuille d’éventail : Expression de l’art et de la société urbaine, Paris, 1670-1790, 2006, PhD diss., Université de Paris
Volmert, Miriam & Bucher, Danijela (eds.), European Fans in the 17th and 18th Centuries, 2020, De Gruyter, ISBN 978-3110596809 (Papers from a conference held at the University of Zurich in 2017 – published in the original languages of the presentations, i.e. English, French & German)