1 - Advertising fans must be printed or colored my permanent means, permitting production of a large number of examples. (Print hand colored or stencil colored, lithograph, chromolithograph, print 'weave'.
2 - They must be easily distributed to a large number of persons.
3 - The must have a text relating to a service or product that is the subject of the advertisement.
4 - They are aimed at commercial promotion.
5 - They are often free.
6 - They are distributed over a period of several months.

Shape:
They have a specific shape that evolves according to current trends.

CLASSIFICATION

Advertising fans can be classed in two main categories:

1) Services
2) Products

There is another group, news fans, which differ in the fact that they are
purchased and that the information transmitted is not commercial.

1 SERVICES
1.1 Transport
1.1.1. Railway companies

The following examples allow to discover certain information:
The evolution of the capital of the Societe Generale rose from 120 000 to 200 000 Francs in ten years whilst the number of agencies rose from 187 to 560.
The number of disasters covered by the insurance company 'Le Secours'.
The first telephone numbers that appeared on adverts was from 1898 but this was in such a small number that it is evident that this mode of communication hadn't entered into the spirit.

Illustrators:

Fraipont and Stenlen around 1900
Dorival and Lucaze for the state steam train company around 1920

Fan maker: Ganné (Chemin de Fer de l'Ouest)

Printer: Chaix (Paris) and Oberthur (Rennes)
Examples of numbers printed: 10 000 examples in May 1898 and in July 1898 for the Compagnie des Chemins de Fer de l'Ouest.

1.1.2. Maritime Companies

The French Line, illustrators Leloir and Rossi
La Compagnie Transatlantique: illustrator Fabiano.

The quality of the fans depended on the class of travel; fan in tissue or paper, mounted on bone, Bakelite or wood.

1.1.3. Airline Companies

Air France, UTA, Japan Airlines (anonymous illustrators), after the second world war.
Made mainly in Asia.

1.2 - Tourism
1.2.1. Towns

Caborg, Lourdes and Vèzelay (anonymous illustrators).

1.2.2: Casinos and circles

Boulogne-sur-mer, Enghien-les-Bains, Le Havre, Juan-les-Pins, Royan (anonymous illustrators).
Vichy: illustrated series by Pean.
Circle of Aix-les-Bains.

1.3 : Hotels, cafes, restaurants and brasseries
More than 150 different fans have been noted in this category.

1.3.1 : Hotels

Illustrators:

Gendrot for the Hotel de Paris at Monaco.
Hotel Lutétia in Paris.
These fans are rare compared to cafés and restaurants.

1.3.2. Cafés, restaurants and brasseries

Examples of illustrators:

Poulbot, Rabier, Thomasse and Vion, for the 'Café de la Paix'.
Preves, Schick and Wieluc for the 'Café de Paris' and the Montmartre cabarets.
Sem, L. Vallet for Maxim's.
G. Redon for the 'Association of the Cafés de Paris', Foyot and Armenonville.
Chéret and Domergue, for the 'Chateau de Madrid'.
De Feure for the Grand Vatel.
Mourgue, for the 'Brasserie Universelle'.
'La Brasserie Fritz Lauer, la Brasserie Wepler, la Taverne de l'Opéra, la Taverne Pousset,
la Taverne Royale, (on the same fan), (anonymous illustrators)
These were publicity presents. The height of the fashion was between 1895 and 1914.

1.4: Major Parisian Stores

Le Bon Marché, les Galeries Lafayette, le Louvre and le Printemps, produced a large number of different fans (around 80).
le Bon Marché: Fan in 1854 to celebrate the opening of the store, and one in 1856 for the 'white season'. The Bon Marché series, in the style of the renowned designers Barbier, Brunelleschi, Domergue is one of the most memorable series.
Galeries Lafayette offered a more homogenous series:

Illustrator: Domergue from 1919 to 1925.

Shape: balloon - characteristic of this époque.

Galeries Lafayette was the only company to create a fan for their own brand perfume; 'mai au Bois', illustrated by Domergue. The advertising message: until the 1920's,there was no advertising text, but after the First World War, this became more and more important, just like 'Royale Origan' in 1921, the big-hit perfume from Galeries Lafayette which is extremely subtle, or 'M'Lati', that was described as a "strange perfume, flowery scent, subtle, tenacious' which is sold for 30 Francs, accompanied by a face powder with the same fragrance, in four colors: white, pink, rachel claire or ochre".

Louvre shops,
Printemps

1.5: Newspapers

Illustrators:

Louise Abbéma and Louis Morin for 'le journal'.
M.E. Montaut for 'l'Auto'.

2. PRODUCTS

2.1. Perfumes

More than 60 different examples are listed.

Fan-Calenders Rimmel, 1876 and 1877.

In 1904, the perfumery Rigaud was the first to edit perfumed fans for the perfume 'le Lilas', illustrated by Delachaussée. Towards 1908 another fan represents the front
of the store while in 1914, the name of Rigaud appears on the theater fans illustrated by Losques.

In 1906, the perfumery L. T. Piver commissioned Willette to prepare a fan. the fan was used as a decorative element in a showcase on which was written the names of numerous perfumes sold by the store.

Fans by L.T.Piver had no mention of their perfume or label except the fan that celebrated the 150 th anniversary which represented the decorated store front. The same style was used for several perfumes, the name of which were used successively on the fans.

'Vichy Etat' 'Cercle d'Aix' were present on several of these fans engraved by Maquet.

Illustrators:

Céline, Arman Jean, Guy Arnoux, Brunelleschi, Delaitre, J.G. Domergue, Mich and Prejean.
Paul Poiret: Perfumes 'Rosien' circa 1925. On the back were printed the names of nine perfumes with a perfumed ribbon attached by a Bordeaux colored sticker with the letters 'Les Parfums de Rosine' for identification.

Illustrators: Begnini, Benito.

Other perfumeries, Bourjois, Godet. Today Karl Lagerfield continues the tradition.

2.2 Cosmetics and pharmaceutical products

Rhône Poulenc's Aspirin.
Cream by Simon.
La Compagnie Française du Plasmon.
Pharmacie de Tours, pharmacie de Moulins.

2.3 Fashion

High Fashion Fans by Paquin are the most beautiful models that were produced as publicity presents, not only for the quality of the images (Barbier, Iribe), but also for the supports used and the beauty of the mountings.

Womens clothes: Bartolomé, Jeny - rue Royale.
Swimwear: Naduea, Trebor, Vibert.
Hats: Lewis Mode.
Shoes: Bally, American shoe company, Coop (Ill. Maurice Millière). Talon caoutchouc continental.
Corsets: Clara.
Jewellery: Maxima (ill. P. Iribe).

2.4 Drinks

More than 200 different examples are recorded.

2.4.1 Champagne

Around a hundred examples are recorded.
Ayala, Irroy, Louis Roederer, Saint Marceau, etc...
Before 1910, champagne Cliquot was illustrated by Maurice Leloir.
A sheet of Clairin was reused as a publicity fan by Moet and Chandon.
Most of the other fans are dated after 1920.
The shape is most frequently balloon, or in the form of a losange (diamand).
Bright colors, associating the bottle, the 'coupe', in typically Art Deco surroundings.
Panaches were often missing or absent.

2.4.2. Liqueurs and Aperitifs

These were less sophisticated mountings and graphics. Most common brands are Byrrh, illustrated by Leonnec, Dubonnet by Cappiello and Cassandre, Cinzano, Martini, Pernod, Picon, Quinquina.

Towards the end of the 1930's the fan became a true publicity device with the apparition of logos.

A very large number of sun-screens were produced for Bénédictine, who had their own printworks and produced many series, some humorist.

2.4.3 Beer

More than twenty different examples are recorded.

Fort Carré (two versions), Karcher, La Meuse, Luterbach, Maxeville, Tourtel, (anonymous illustrators).
The quality of the fans was similar to those used for Liqueurs and Aperitifs.

2.5. Other alimentation products

2.5.1 Sweets

More than 60 examples are recorded. Chocolateries: les chocolateries de Royat, including the Marquise de Sévigné - Rocher, Suchard.
Confiserie Pierrot Gourmand.

2.5.2 Cigarettes

Over ten models recorded.
The first fans appeared at the beginning of the century (illustrator Laurens).
La Sieta used signatures of Colin, Dransy, Vincent to illustrate their fans.

2.5.3 Others

Over other models are recorded.
Fans for savoury goods Géo, Olida.
For cheeses: Gervais.

3 EVENT FANS

Always sold, they sometimes carried one or two publicity messages.

3.1 Universal exhibitions

Between 1851 and 1992 there have been 150 universal exhibitions, national and regional; many of these had their own publicity fans.

In France: in Paris in 1851, 1867, 1878, 1900 and 1937; in Lyon in 1894 in Bordeaux in 1895.

See G. Walberg, Fans of the Fairs, published in 1994.

3.2 Theater fans

These go back to the end of the 18th century. The most well known examples are the prints that were prettily hand colored.

Some had small sonets printed on the back, others were perfumed. Many appeared throughout the 19th century.

From 1845 the publicity character of the fans became more apparent, by their writing and the cheap paper quality.

Example: The fan printed for the show of Robert Houdin gave a list of the tests that would be performed during the fantasy evenings at the Palais Royal; the one edited for the play 'Le Chiffonier de Paris' en 1847, a drama by Félix Pyat, illustrated by Eugène Rapp and printed by Thierry frères; the interesting series created around 'la tournée Brasseur' between 1891 and 1897, each year the color of the fan changed at the same time as the program of the plays.

Adverts for La Phosphatine Fallières sometimes appeared.

For several Parisian plays, de Losques produced some very pretty fans stencil colored and perfumed by Rigaud.

There also exists an interesting series created for the Molier circus, illustrated by John-Lewis Brown and Guillaume amongst others.

3.3 Dances and Festivals

An exceptional series started by the Société des peintres Lithographesin 1903, was able to continue thanks to the Société des Déssinateurs Humoristes from 1904 to 1905, whose members had belonged to the Société des Peintres Lithographes.

In 1903, a Charity ball was given to celebrate Gavarni, one of their most famous elder members, with the goal of getting a monument constructed in his memory.

In 1904, another ball took place in memory of Henri Monnier, who created the character 'M. Prudhomme', in order to raise funds for the charity for designers and humorists that was looking after the daughter of Henri Monnier.

In 1905, a third ball was organized on the theme 'Caillot', in the same philanthropic cause.

On 29 March 1912, a last ball was organized by the society. More than 40 fans have been classified, but lithograph sheets were also printed.

Fans were also produced for other annual balls:
Bals de l'Opéra,
Bals de Petit Lits Blancs,
Bals de la Saint-Cyrienne 1904 - 1921.

3.4 Commemorative Fans

Fans produced to celebrate an event from the past:

The centenary of the storming of the Bastille,
Centenary of the Revolution,
The hundredth showing of 'Nana', 25 April 1881.
The bicentenary of the birth of Rossini, in 1992.

3.5 Souvenir Fans

Fans commemorating an exceptional contemporary event: The ascension of the Eiffel Tower, Ascension of Mont Blanc.

3.6 Political Fans

Example: The Prince and Princess fans, edited by Le Panaché in 1903.

3.7 Sports

Example: Le Pesage at the hippodrome of Auteuil for Dry Monopole champagne, illustrated by SEM around 1910.

The airplane Grand Marnier, illustrated by Jacquet circa 1910.

The athletics club of La Socété Générale with a photograph of Jean Bouin leaping a hurdle in May 1913.

Using the Dunlop ball in the Davis Cup.

CONCLUSION

This attempt at classifying French publicity fans consisted of a study of around one thousand pieces, however there has been a total of around 10 000 publicity fans produced since 1847.

It is important to remember that publicity fans remain apart from 'actuality' fans even though they often carried publicity messages. The publicity fan is not uniquely a Parisian phenomenon, there were also printers and fan makers in the 'provinces'.

During the second half of the 19th century, the period when the fan was at its peak, very few publicity fans have been recorded as pre-dating 1890.

It is interesting to note also that the illustrations of these fans are rarely the same as those used on posters or enamel plates for the same advertisement.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

General titles:

Nancy Armstrong, The book of fans, Color library international, 1978.

Susan Mayor, Collecting fans, Christies South Kensington Collectors Series, 1980.

Un soffio di vanita, (Ventagli dal XVII al XX secolo), De Luca Edizioni d'Arte, 1989.

Susan Mayor, The Lett's Guide to collecting fans, Charles Lett's, 1991.

Grazia Gobbi Sica, Il Ventaglio Pubblicitario 1890 - 1940, Cantini 1992.

Gretchen Walberg, Fans of the Fairs, (a guide to world's fairs fans)., 1994.

Exhibition catalogues:

1973: Eventails - Actualités- Vie Parisienne - Carnavalet mai-octobre 1973.

1985: L'éventail, mirroir de la Belle Epoque, Palais Galliéra, 24 May - 27 October 1985.

1989: L'éventail a tous vents, Le Louvre des Antiquaires, 28 April - 22 July 1989.

1990: Hymne au parfum, deux siècles d'histoire dans les Arts Décoratifs et la Mode.

1990-1991: Léventail publicitaire by Fabienne Falluel, 7 October 1990 - 3 February 1991.

Specialist articles

The Fan Club International:

Fans: - Dr Isabel Van Aeghen, No 32 abd 37

- M. Arthur Tilley, No 44 and 45

FANA: Bulletin of the Association of North America.

Advertising Fans: Grace Cornish, Vol. XIII, Number 3, Winter 1990.

Les Nouvelles du Cercle de l'éventail, Paris, No 2: 1988, No 3 1989.

Newspaper articles:

Revue d'objets publicitaires imprimés par M. Daniel Bordet.

Revue Aladin, No 43: April 1991.

Auction catalogues:

Hôtel Drouot:

- Michel Maignan : 20 November 1978, 26 March 1979, 2 June 1980.

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