"Part fashion accessory, part cooling device, part coded instrument of flirtation, fans were also miniature works of art. The exhibition traces everyday life in Austen's era through their decoration: courting couples, grand balls, royal occasions, overseas travel, and recognisable Georgian landmarks - including sweeping views of Bath, formal gardens, and bustling seaports."
"Some fans even marked major national events. One celebrates George III's recovery from illness - the Regency equivalent of today's commemorative shortbread biscuit tins. Others reveal how fans evolved with changing tastes and expanding global trade, shifting in size, shape, and materials as cheaper imports became available."
Greenwich hosts two exhibitions that illuminate contrasting aspects of Georgian life. The Fan Museum presents fans as fashion accessories, cooling devices and coded instruments of flirtation, decorated with courting scenes, grand balls, royal occasions, travel and recognisable Georgian landmarks. Some fans commemorated national events and changed in size, shape and materials as global trade introduced cheaper imports. Fans in the Age of Jane Austen runs until 21 March 2026; the Fan Museum is on Crooms Hill, open Tuesday to Saturday 11am–5pm with £5 adult entry. Nearby, the National Maritime Museum displays three documents revealing Francis and Charles Austen’s naval careers, including Francis’s mathematics coursebook and his command of HMS Canopus during the Napoleonic Wars.
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