Having arranged to have lunch at Bill’s in Greenwich, we wanted to make the most of our day and a Google search brought up the nearby Fan Museum, which I had never heard of.
Having booked tickets online (£3 for senior citizens), and read it was the UKs only museum devoted to the historic and artistry of fans, we found it was only a short walk from the DLR stop Cutty Sark.
The museum is housed in a pair of grade 2 listed townhouses built in 1721, which have been beautifully restored. The ground floor room began with a short video explaining how the museum, which opened in 1991, came into being.
Armed with a gizmo to point at the various bar codes dotted around, the commentary explained the diverse collection of fans from around the world which dated back from the 12th century to the present day. Those that stood out for me were sadly made from materials considered inappropriate: a fan which appeared to have been made from lace was carved from ivory whilst others were made from turtle shell. Some had quirky designs, or were beautiful, and one had been designed to fit into a cigar case.
Up the beautiful wooden staircase, we found the temporary display ‘A Focus on Paris’, where a delightful elderly lady volunteer explained the background to the exhibition and pointed out fans made for the Paris Olympics in 1924. She also told us that the fans are rotated regularly as they degenerate if left open for too long and that the next exhibition, would have a biblical theme.
Unfortunately, the garden and orangery, which was previously a café, is now only available for private hire.
There was also an interesting gift shop with fan related merchandise, and I bought several cards featuring fans, and serviettes in the shape of a fan. All the staff we encountered were extremely welcoming and charming, and as we headed for lunch, we both agreed it had been a FANtastic experience.
The opening hours appear quirky and subject to change, so I’d recommend checking the website before setting off.
