The College of Optometrists

We invite all our e-visitors to join the optical fan club!

 

Miniature spyglass fans were for ladies to spy on their neighbours without it being thought they were looking at anything at all; in that sense they went a stage further than the mere diversionary tactics of the jealousy glass.

 

The picture on the right shows a cockade brisé fan with two handles of pierced ivory and a coloured enamel design on its upper third depicting two women against a classical outdoor scene. There is a single-draw spyglass in the central pivot. The item is probably French and dates from around 1810; such fans were very much in vogue in the First Empire period

 

Fans have also been found in conjunction with lorgnettes and monocles. These do not have the secretive purpose but are simply multifunctional items for the lady wishing to carry as little as possible.

 

The next image shows a 135 degree brisé fan made from pierced ivory. The twenty three sticks are decorated with figure carvings. A monogram of the initials FHO spreads across the three centre sections. Note that this fan has no handle. A gold-rimmed magnifying lens hangs down but as the picture shows there is no obviously convenient way of holding it up to the eye. The stem of this magnifier consists of two lengths of metal soldered to the rim and fixed at the other end to an axle with jewelled terminals. The item is Chinese, but made for the Western export market and dates from the 19th century, but precisely when would be difficult to pinpoint.

 

The materials used for optical fans are often delicate but may include ivory, horn or tortoiseshell. Silk or paper fans did not generally have the strength to support an optical appendage.

 

Our collection of optical fans comprises one of the most unusual and unexpected facets to the museum. In both form and function they are closely related to the collection of hand-held eyeshades, which might also incorporate similar optical devices.

 

The museum is still looking for someone to donate a lorgnette fan or an opera glass fan!

 

The third image shows a cockade brisé fan which is of stained horn, clouté with steel, bearing gilded and silver ornamentation. You can see it glistening at the ends of its 'sunbeam' edges. It dates from circa 1810. Clouté is a difficult word to interpret, it refers to the small rounds dots of gold or silver leaf paper. which were like bits of confetti glued on and then rubbed into pre-made pits in the material of the sticks. In English the verb 'to clout' (amongst its other meanings such as 'hit') means to patch or stud, usually with metal, often in a heavy-handed or rough manner, but in French the verb 'clouter' means to 'adorn' with nails and it refers to the decorative use of metal. it has an altogether more delicate and refined meaning.

 

To see more images of our optical fan collection visit this external website.

 

Museum Volunteer Frank Barraclough, who has collected optical fans for over twenty five years comments:

 

 

We hope you'll agree with us that these are quite simply fan-tastic objects!