Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Fan Museum, officially named L - Museum of the Fan, is a private museum in Paris inaugurated in 1993. It is entirely dedicated to fans, their craft manufacture and their history. Installed in a space whose main hall, in Henry II style, has been classified as Historic Monuments since 2004, it exhibits some of the 2,500 fans of its collection, dating from the 18th century to the present day. This unique place highlights rare trades such as tabletower and fan, through traditional tools, materials and techniques.

The Hoguet workshop, specialized in making and restoring fans, is at the origin of the museum's creation. In 2021, he was facing a major financial crisis, threatened with expulsion and permanent closure. Economic difficulties threaten not only the collection, but also the transmission of secular craftsmanship. The permanent exhibition room, decorated with flowered tapestries and a monumental fireplace, illustrates the stylistic evolution of fans throughout the eras.

The museum is structured around four distinct spaces: a vestibule dedicated to the iconography of the first fans, a room explaining the work of tablekeeper (work of frames), another dedicated to the fanlist (realization of leaves), and finally the hall Henri II, heart of the museum. The latter, classified for its preserved decoration, offers a historical setting to the exhibits, ranging from ancient creations to contemporary models. The museum thus embodies a bridge between artisanal heritage and current creation.

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