Object Record
| Object Name | Fan |
| Date | 1910-1925 |
| Description |
Feather fan of white ostrich feathers. Bone sticks with incised and pierced decoration; mother-of-pearl veneered guardsticks. Riveted at bottom, with metal loop. Made in the United States. Fan retains its original cardboard box with printed label on cover: "CAWSTON OSTRICH FEATHERS / FROM THE CAWSTON OSTRICH FARM / SOUTH PASADENA, CALIFORNIA /...." (Keywords: Fashion, Accessory, Early Twentieth Century, New York) |
| Acquisition | Gift of the County of Suffolk, New York |
| Ownership and History |
The downy tufts of this fan would waft gently at the slightest movement of its owner. It may have belonged to Elila E. Williams Smith (1890-1970), who lived in Rossville and Tottenville (Staten Island) in her youth and later resided on Long Island. The fan came to the Staten Island Historical Society with materials from the estate of her husband, Albert Smith. Fans like these were fashion accessories more than tools for cooling. They were designed for dramatic effect, and allowed a woman to gently arouse attention with a simple flick of the wrist. |
| Earliest Date | 1910 |
| Latest Date | 1925 |
| Subjects | Fans |
| Lexicon Sub-category | Personal Gear |
| Associated People |
Smith, Elila E. (Williams) |
| Catalog Number | 86.001.0020.A-B |
| Support Acknowledgment | Online Collections Database record made possible by the Fan Association of North America (FANA), 2011. (www.fanassociation.org) |
| Legal Status | Images and text in this database are copyrighted by the Staten Island Historical Society unless otherwise noted. Items represented here are from the collections of the Staten Island Historical Society. Materials reproduced for personal non-commercial use must credit the Staten Island Historical Society. Commercial licensing is available. |