http://cathedral-lonavala.org/dscn0419/ Don’t get out your French-English dictionary, l’eventail is French for “fan.” Being a fan resident, I just had to go check it out. Â It used be open only on Tuesdays from 2 to 5, but is now open M,T,W from 2 to 6. There is an admission fee of 6 euros. Â It is hard to find, located at 2 Boulevard de Strasbourg marked only by a brass plaque by the door. Â You have to ring to gain admittance to the building then go up to the 3rd French floor to a small working atelier or workshop where antique fans are restored and new ones crafted.
Unfortunately no photos are allowed. The museum consists of a vestibule, where Anne Hoguet, curator and collector, has a history of fans translated into various languages. Then proceed to another room filled with antique tools used to make and assemble fans. Adjacent to this room, is the actual workshop where craftspeople are working on the latest projects. Next door is an exquisite room, fitted out as a showroom, with cabinets of walnut drawers for keeping the fans safe, as well as glass cabinets in which Anne rotates her collection of 18th, 19th, and 20th fans made of silk, muslin, paper, beaded, ivory, mother of pearl, wood, and, yes, even those dramatic feathers. My favorite was a fan that was crafted in the mid-1800’s from swan feathers on which a bucolic scene had been painted. There was a mourning fan, all black, made of ebonized wood and black silk, decorated sparingly with sequins. The wood was intricately carved into an iris pattern and was fabricated about 1901. Some of these fans took over 18 months to complete and cost a fortune.
The walls of this room are covered with the original blue silk with gold fleurs-de-lys. The art nouveau fabric lining the tall display cabinet follows through the blue and gold theme. Three chandeliers adorn the room as well. The room itself is a designated historic site. At one time a thriving fan-making industry was centered in this area, with about 60 fan-makers and over 1,200 workers. Â A fan could require as many as 20 different craftspeople to complete it.
A small boutique shop/room ends your tour filled with books about the fan and its history, note cards, etc. Â We collected our coats from the vestaire, and headed down the stairs for the street. Â The narrow, well-worn stairs with an iron railing can be dark and an elevator is impossible to retrofit. This museum, off the beaten path, is interesting for a fan-ite—-but it will never make the to-do list of most tourists.
