Sunday, January 27, 2008

The Language Of The Fan

Yes, there actually is a fan language. Historically, hand fans were used not only as cooling instruments, but also as convenient communication devices for clandestine love messages. In days gone by, it was an art form that was widely used. (Talk about the art of flirting.) Nowadays, fan language is all but forgotten.

I have collected a few fans, and lately I have been searching online for a Spanish fan. There are some really beautiful fans to choose from. They can be quite pricey, but there are fans that are reasonably priced. You can start off a collection with a simple Chinese sandalwood fan...they are quite pretty and smell wonderful.

By the 18th to19th century the use of fans spread throughout Europe. During this period, the fan was a must have accessory for any sophisticated lady. It gave them style and elegance. In Georgian England, women wore fans as a fashion accessory with almost every outfit that they owned. Classical fans, brought from Italy, replaced the luscious rococo of the French. As well as drawing attention to beautiful and perfectly manicured hands, these items played a big part in delicate flirtations."

Sixteenth century English writer, Joseph Addison, stated, "Men have the sword, women have the fan and the fan is probably as effective a weapon!"

I think that they are just so feminine and add an element of mystery. For a lesson in "The Language of The Fan" click on the link below.

http://www.handfanpro.com/Allaboutfans/Lang/language.htm

Thursday, January 10, 2008

The Jukebox

The first Jukeboxes were simply wooden boxes with coin slots and a few buttons. Over time they became more and more decorated, using colored lights, chrome, bubble tubes, and other visual gimmicks.

Many consider the mid-to-late 1940's the "golden age" of Jukebox styling with the gothic-like curvaceous "electric rainbow cathedral" look. The Wurlitzer model "1015-Bubbler" jukebox typifies the look and is arguably the most popular selling Jukebox model of all time. Many of these survived into the 50's in active use and are instead associated with the 50's in pop culture despite their 40's origin because of their unique visual prominence. Who would not want to own one of these?