The Fan Museum, London is unique. Founded by the visionary husband-and-wife team A.V. (Dicky) and Helhne Alexander, and established in two adjoining early 18th-century town houses, this delightful museum houses one of the world's most important collections of fans, fan leaves, rare books and fan-related artifacts dating from the seventeenth to the twentieth century.

This book tells the story of this privately-owned museum, its aims and aspirations, and illustrates in detail over fifty of the most prestigious fans and fan leaves in its collection, ranging from a 1681 folding fan depicting Louis XIV and his family, to a Victorian fan with guards containing compartments which house a sewing kit with scissors, a mirror and comb.

Each fan is accompanied by information on its manufacturer, date, stem maker and fan leaf artist, as well fascinating accounts of the figures who commissioned the fans, often as gifts for leading monarchs and celebrities, as well as the serendipitous paths by which the fans arrived in the museum's collection.

Important practical information is provided on fan manufacture, and the different parts of the fan and a glossary of terms.

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