Events
Browse upcoming events at The Fan Museum
Upcoming Events
Talking Fans > Dance Fans and the Georgian Assembly Room
Wednesday 25 May 2022 at 19.00hrs BST
In eighteenth and nineteenth century Europe, assemblies and balls were the centre of the Season where complex dances and social relationships played out. A plethora of dance manuals and sheet music were created to teach the music and social etiquette of the assembly rooms, which included the popularisation of the Country Dance fan and Quadrille fan. Join TFM Curatorial Assistant Ailsa Hendry as she explores the relationship between dance, fans, and society during this period.
More DetailsTalking Fans > Art of Deception: 18th Century Trompe l’œil Fans
Wednesday 22 June 2022 at 19.00hrs BST
The French term trompe l’œil can be translated as ‘trick of the eye’ and applies to works of art which create an illusion of a real object or scene. Although its origins can be traced back to the Classical period, the trompe l’œil phenomenon is especially prevalent in the eighteenth century and is applied in varying ways to fans throughout the period. Join TFM Curator & The Arts Society Lecturer, Jacob Moss as he explores the trompe l’œil trend as seen on a variety of eighteenth century fans from the Museum’s outstanding collections.
More DetailsPast Events
Curator in Residence
21 May 2022, 11.30-15.00 hrs
Join us tomorrow, Saturday 21st May, for Curator in Residence! TFM Curatorial Assistant, Ailsa Hendry, will be in the museum throughout the day offering free-to-attend short talks on aspects of the permanent displays on the ground floor. You can also visit our mesmerising exhibition, ‘A Bouquet of Fans’, on the upper floor of the museum.
Pre-booking is not required. The event is offered free of charge but in addition to standard Museum entry costs.
More DetailsTalking Fans > Poetic Imagination: George Sheringham’s Fans and Fan Leaves
Wednesday 27 April 2022 at 19.00hrs BST
George Sheringham RDI (1884-1937), painter, illustrator and theatre designer, concentrated much of his artistic energy on painting fan leaves for a short period early in his career, before and during the First World War. Delivered by The Fan Museum’s Curatorial Consultant Mary Kitson, this talk will focus on some of those works and their context in Sheringham’s wider career.
More DetailsCurator in Residence
19th March 2022, 13.00 - 16.00 hrs
Join us tomorrow, Saturday 19th March, for Curator in Residence! TFM Curator, Jacob Moss, will be in the museum throughout the day offering free-to-attend short talks on aspects of the permanent displays on the ground floor. You can also visit our enchanting exhibition, ‘The Allure of Lace’, on the upper floor of the museum.
Pre-booking is not required. The event is offered free of charge but in addition to standard Museum entry costs.
More DetailsCurator in Residence
19th February 2022, 13.00 - 16.00 hrs
Join us on Saturday 19th February when TFM Curator, Jacob Moss, will be on site throughout the day offering free-to-attend short talks based on different aspects of the ground floor permanent displays. Our current exhibition ‘The Allure of Lace’ continues on the upper floor of the Museum where you’ll also find lace maker Tina Pedrick in residence. Alongside one of her students, Tina will demonstrate different lace making techniques and encourage visitors to try their hand at lacemaking, too.
Pre-booking not required. This event is offered free of charge but in addition to standard Museum entry costs.
More DetailsTalking Fans > A Winter’s Tale
Wednesday 22 December 2021 at 19.00hrs BST
Join The Fan Museum’s Founder and Director, Helene Alexander MBE for an illustrated talk in which winter-themed fans from around the World take centre stage. Festive attire, mince pies and sherry greatly encouraged!
More DetailsTalking Fans > The Whole World is Angelicamad!
Wednesday 24th November 2021 at 19.00 hrs BST
The Swiss painter, Angelica Kauffman, lived for much of her life in Italy but spent a formative 15 years in London from 1766 where her talents became so widely appreciated that she was made a Founding Member of the Royal Academy. While her principal business was as a portrait painter, she also painted historical subjects that by the 1770s were proving so popular that they began to be copied and extensively reproduced on any number of objects including, of course, fans. Join The Fan Museum consultant, Mary Kitson as she explores the Kauffmann craze via painted and printed fans.
More DetailsTalking Fans > Illustrating Fashionable Fans
Wednesday 27 October 2021 at 19.00 hrs BST
Georges Barbier, Paul Iribe and Georges Lepape; three masters of fashion illustration who dominated the pages of early 20th century fashion magazines. These artists translated the period’s fashionable trends onto exclusive fan designs for couturiers, department stores and perfumiers. Join The Fan Museum’s assistant curator Scott Schiavone as he explores the lives and work of Georges Barbier, Paul Iribe and George Lepape and their contribution to early 20th century fashion and fans.
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Talking Fans > Mapping London’s Fan Makers
Wednesday 29 September 2021 at 19.00hrs BST
On the eve of the launch of The Fan Museum’s ‘Layers of London’ interactive map, curator Jacob Moss highlights the Museum’s recent project to identify & map more than three hundred fan makers active in London from the 17th century onward. Jacob will explain the complexities of a once thriving craft form, lead a virtual tour of the map and introduce some of the key figures (and their fans) featured on the map.
More DetailsThe Fan Museum at 30: Chinoiserie Fans
Wednesday 04 August 2021
19.00–20.00 hrs BST, Wednesday 04 August 2021
The Fan Museum at 30: Chinoiserie Fans
Join The Fan Museum’s assistant curator, Scott Schiavone as he reflects on the 2006 exhibition, Chinoiserie Fans. Scott will discuss some of the exhibition’s key themes and illustrate a selection of chinoiserie fans dating from the 17th century through to the 19th century.
The talk is offered free-of-charge and will take place on the Zoom conferencing platform.
Advance booking is essential. To book, please email info@thefanmuseum.org.uk stating your full name.
More DetailsThe Fan Museum at 30: Seduced! Fans & the Art of Advertising
Wednesday 07 July 2021
19.00–20.00 hrs BST, Wednesday 07 July 2021
The Fan Museum at 30: Seduced! Fans & the Art of Advertising
Join The Fan Museum’s curator, Jacob Moss as he reflects on the 2014 exhibition, Seduced! Fans & the Art of Advertising. Jacob will discuss some of the exhibition’s key themes and illustrate a selection of early advertising fans dating from the late-19th century through to the interwar period.
The talk is offered free-of-charge and will take place on the Zoom conferencing platform.
Advance booking is essential. To book, please email info@thefanmuseum.org.uk stating your full name.
More DetailsThe Fan Museum at 30: The Romantic Age
Wednesday 02 June 2021
19.00–20.00 hrs BST, Wednesday 02 June 2021
The Fan Museum at 30: The Romantic Age
Join The Fan Museum consultant & Fan Circle International secretary, Mary Kitson as she reflects on the 2019 exhibition, ‘The Romantic Age’. Mary will discuss some of the exhibition’s key themes and illustrate a selection of early to mid-19th century fans featured within the displays.
More DetailsThe Fan Museum at 30: Director’s Choice
Wednesday 05 May 2021
19.00–20.15 hrs BST, Wednesday 05 May 2021
The Fan Museum at 30: Director’s Choice
Join The Fan Museum’s Founder and Director, Hélène Alexander as she reflects on 30 extraordinary years (to the day!) of exhibition making.
Curator in Residence
Saturday 23rd May 2020
Join The Fan Museum’s curators for free-to-attend talks on a range of fan-related topics pertaining to the Museum’s displays.
More DetailsCurator in Residence
Saturday 25th April 2020
Join The Fan Museum’s curators for free-to-attend talks on a range of fan-related topics pertaining to the Museum’s displays.
More DetailsCurator in Residence
Saturday 28th March 2020
Join The Fan Museum’s curators for free-to-attend talks on a range of fan-related topics pertaining to the Museum’s displays.
More DetailsSelling Fans in Eighteenth Century London
Wednesday 25 March 2020, 19.00-20.00hrs
An illustrated lecture by Cambridge University’s Dr Amy Louise Erikson, who recently curated a marvellous outdoor exhibition entitled City Women in the 18th Century.
More DetailsFan Making Workshops at Greenwich Market
Saturday 21st March 2020
Join us at the Greenwich Market for a Fan Making Workshop.
We’re hosting three special discounted Fan Making Workshops at the Greenwich Market on Saturday 21st March.
The fan making classes will last 45 minutes. During the workshop you will create your own folding fan.
More DetailsHeroes: Saviours, Traitors and Supermen
Thursday 20th February 2020, 2:00pm
The Fan Museum is pleased to welcome cultural historian, author and The Arts Society lecturer, Lucy Hughes-Hallett, who’ll give a fascinating talk on a subject closely related to the Museum’s first exhibition of 2020, Heroic Figures.
More DetailsIn Celebration! Looking-Glass River
Friday 6th December 2019, 7:30pm
A new play about Robert Louis Stevenson.
More DetailsCurator in Residence
Saturday 30th November 2019
Join The Fan Museum’s curators for free-to-attend talks on a range of fan-related topics pertaining to the Museum’s displays
More DetailsIn Celebration! In Pursuit of the Dream
Monday 18th November 2019, 7:00pm
An enchanting Chinese Opera performance by acclaimed artist Kathy Hall.
More DetailsIn Celebration! The Secret Life of the Georgian Garden
Thursday 17th October 2019, 2:00pm
Book now for The Secret Life of the Georgian Garden an illustrated talk by garden historian, Dr Kate Felus.
More DetailsIn Celebration! The Darkling Heart
Friday 11th October 2019, 7:30pm
Advance booking is now open for the preview of The Darkling Heart, an original play depicting the remarkable relationship between Thomas and Emma Hardy by Wayne Adrian Drew.
More DetailsLocal Community Open Day
Saturday 31st August 2019
Local residents can visit us for FREE* on Saturday 31st August between 11am-5pm
More DetailsCurator in Residence
Saturday 29 June 2019
Join The Fan Museum’s curators for free-to-attend talks on a range of fan-related topics pertaining to the Museum’s displays.
More Details'In Celebration!' - Chinese Art for Western Interiors
Monday 24th June 2019, 7pm
Explore the exotic yet fundamentally commercial Sino-European maritime relationship in Chinese Art for Western Interiors’, a lecture by Colin Sheaf, Deputy Chairman of Bonhams on Monday 24th Jine 2019
More Details”In Celebration!’ – Song of Myself : A 200th Birthday Celebration of Walt Whitman
Friday 31st May 2019, 7.30pm
Advance booking is now open for the showcase of Song of Myself, a celebration of the great American poet Walt Whitman, written for the 200th anniversary of his birth by Wayne Adrian Drew.
More DetailsCurator in Residence
Saturday 18th May 2019
Join The Fan Museum’s curators for free-to-attend talks on a range of fan-related topics pertaining to the current gallery displays.
More DetailsFan Making Workshops at Greenwich Market
Saturday 11th May 2019
Join us at the Greenwich Market for a Fan Making Workshop.
We’re hosting three special discounted Fan Making Workshops at the Greenwich Market on Saturday 11th May.
The fan making classes will last 45 minutes. During the class you will create one folding fan.
Please note this event is only suitable for ages 12+.
More DetailsCurator in Residence
Saturday 27th April 2019
Join The Fan Museum’s director, Mrs Alexander and Mary Kitson for free-to-attend talks on a range of fan-related topics pertaining to the current gallery displays.
More Details''In Celebration!' - Admiral Sir William Parker of Crooms Hill
Monday 1st April 2019, 7.30pm
An illustrated talk by Daphne Joynes on the life and times of Admiral Sir William Parker, who with his large family lived at 12 Crooms Hill, Greenwich (now home to the Fan Museum) in the late eighteenth century.
More DetailsCurator in Residence
Saturday 23 March 2019
Join The Fan Museum’s curator, Jacob Moss and curatorial assistant Scott Schiavone for free-to-attend talks on a range of fan-related topics pertaining to the current gallery displays.
More DetailsA Dickens Christmas
Wednesday 12th December 2018
Distinguished author and actor, Richard Holliss, in the persona of Charles Dickens, reads extracts from his works by candlelight, in an entertainment written by Wayne Adrian Drew.
More DetailsRossini at The Fan Museum
Monday 19th November 2018
To mark the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Rossini’s death, join us at The Fan Museum for an evening performance of some of the composer’s best arias from his most popular operas, including The Barber of Seville, La Danza and L’Italiana in Algeri.
More DetailsOpen House London 2018
Saturday 22nd September 2018
The Fan Museum will be once again part of Open House London, opening with free admission for everyone on Saturday 22nd September 2018, from 11:00 to 17:00.
This is the perfect occasion to see our temporary exhibition “A Bird in the Hand” before it is due to finish on Sunday 23rd September, and to enjoy our famous Afternoon Tea in the Orangery afterwards.
More DetailsWorking with Feathers
Monday 3rd September 2018
An illustrated lecture by Mrs H. E. Alexander, MBE
Based upon an account of a feather business which started in 1812 and celebrated its centenary in 1912, this talk gives a light-hearted overview of some of the more popular birds, their plumes and, of course, the fans which were fashioned from them.
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Fan Making Workshops at Greenwich Market
Saturday 18th August 2018
Join us at the Greenwich Market for a Fan Making Workshop.
We’re hosting three special discounted Fan Making Workshops at the Greenwich Market on Saturday 18th August.
The fan making classes will last 45 minutes. During the class you will create one folding fan.
Please note this event is only suitable for ages 12+.
More DetailsCapes, Cloaks and Headdresses
Thursday 19th July 2018
An illustrated lecture by Jo Hatton (Keeper of Natural History, Horniman Museum and Gardens).
Discover more about the significance, meaning and use of birds and their feathers by indigenous peoples as Keeper of Natural History at the Horniman Museum and Gardens Jo Hatton explores some of the many featherwork items in the Horniman’s collection.
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A Waving Field of Feathers: Feathers, tradition and fashion at the British Court.
Thursday 21st June 2018
An illustrated lecture by Dr Joanna Marschner (Senior Curator, Historic Royal Palaces).
To coincide with The Fan Museum’s summer exhibit, A Bird in the Hand, Dr Joanna Marschner will give an illustrated presentation on the subject of Court Dress, revealing how feathers – and in particular those of the ostrich – have played significant and symbolic roles within Court attire throughout the ages.
More DetailsThe Prince and the Fan - Unfolding the story of a Printed fan...
Monday 16th April 2018
To continue the series of events to coincide with The Fan Museum’s new exhibition, Early Printed Fans, Hélène Alexander, The Fan Museum Founder and Director, will deliver an illustrated lecture about a printed fan published in support of the Jacobite uprising of 1745. Mrs Alexander’s research on the subject is both detailed and fascinating.
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Pots with Attitude - British Satire on Ceramics, 1760-1830
Monday 5th March 2018
To coincide with The Fan Museum’s new exhibition, Early Printed Fans, Patricia Ferguson (Project Curator, Monument Trust, 18th Century Prints and Ceramics, British Museum) will deliver an illustrated lecture relating to her fascinating exhibition at the British Museum, Pots with Attitude: British Satire on Ceramics, 1760 – 1830.
More DetailsLocal Community Open Day
Saturday 16th December, 2017
Local residents can visit us for FREE* on Saturday 16th December between 11am-5pm
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Street Fans extravaganza @Greenwich Market
Saturday 23 & Sunday 24 September 2017
The Fan Museum is joining forces with Greenwich Market, to stage a two-day Street Fans extravaganza. Open to all ages, this dynamic event offers a chance to try fan-making and watch internationally renowned street artists Skeleton Cardboard, Nathen Bowen and Codex Urbanus paint live amongst the hustle and bustle of the vibrant market scene.
More DetailsStreet Fans @The Heritage Gallery, University of Greenwich
Wednesday 20 & Thursday 21 September, 2017
University of Greenwich students and visitors are in for an exciting two days at the beautiful riverside Heritage Gallery, where street artists Lily Mixe and Butch Attai will paint murals alongside a series of fan-making workshops led by The Fan Museum’s expert tutors.
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”In Celebration!’ – Uneasy Dreamers
Friday 23rd June 2017
Advance tickets are now available for the showcase of Wayne Adrian Drew’s critically acclaimed new play about four famous authors spending the day at a villa on the coast between France and Italy in 1920…
More DetailsEaster Sunday Tea in the Orangery
Sunday 16 April 2017
Enjoy a special Easter themed Afternoon Tea in the museum’s beautiful painted Orangery…
More DetailsValentine’s Day Tea in the Orangery
Sunday 12 February 2017
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with loved ones by taking afternoon tea in the beautiful Orangery. We will be serving an extra special tea featuring a selection of freshly baked cakes, macarons and handmade sandwiches.
More DetailsCurator in Residence
Saturday 19 November 2016
The Fan Museum is delighted to offer a schedule of short talks on Saturday 19 November 2016.
More Details‘In Celebration!’ – The Blaze of Noon
Friday 11 November 2016
Join us for the premiere public performance of Adrian Drew’s epic new comedy.
More DetailsLocal Community Open Day 2016
Saturday 20 August 2016
Following on from the success of last year’s event, The Fan Museum is holding an Open Day on Saturday 20 August 2016. The open day is held with the aim of encouraging residents from the local area and nearby boroughs to visit the museum.
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'In Celebration!' presents... Jan Leeming - A Walk Down Memory Lane
Monday 16th May 2016
Curator in Residence: Easter Special
Saturday 26 March 2016
Celebrate the Easter holiday at The Fan Museum with a range of talks from the museum’s curator.
More DetailsCurator in Residence 2016
Saturday 12 March 2016
The Fan Museum is delighted to offer a schedule of short talks and other activities on the 2nd & 4th Saturday of each month.
More Details'In Celebration!' - Fans of the Opera
Monday 15 February 2016
The Fan Museum’s 2016 ‘In Celebration!’ programme springs into life on Monday 15 February with an intriguing blend of opera & fan etiquette…
More Details‘In Celebration!’ – Chinese Export Fans
Monday 07 December 2015
Join The Fan Museum’s founder and director for a fascinating talk on the rise and fall of Chinese export fans.
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‘In Celebration!’ – The Darkling Heart
Friday 27 November 2015
Award wining author Adrian Drew’s new play, The Darkling Heart relates one of the world’s great but complex love stories.
More DetailsMuseums at Night: Made in China
Friday 30 October 2015
To mark the occasion of its latest exhibition, The Fan Museum opens its doors from 18.00hrs to 21.00hrs on Friday 30 October, as part of Museums at Night…
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Open House London 2015
Saturday 19 September 2015
Open House London at The Fan Museum, Greenwich
On Saturday 21st September 2013 The Fan Museum will once again be taking part in Open House London.
More DetailsExtra Fan Making Workshop
Saturday 15 August
Due to high demand we have added in an extra Fan Making Workshop on Saturday 15 August! This session will be conducted by an experienced tutor who will not only provide expert guidance, but also a wealth of knowledge about the history and craft of fans.
More DetailsLocal Community Open Day 2015
Saturday 08 August 2015
Following on from the success of last year’s event, The Fan Museum is holding an Open Day on Saturday 08 August 2015. The open day is held with the aim of encouraging residents from the local area and nearby boroughs to visit the museum.
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Time Out of Mind! An Elizabethan Mystery
Thursday 23rd & Friday 24th July 2015
Written to celebrate Shakespeare’s 400th anniversary in 2016, this international premiere showcase of award-winning author Adrian Drew’s new play, is a combination of speculation, comedy and pathos guaranteed to both surprise and entertain!
More DetailsLucile & Worth: Histories from the Archive – a lecture by Professor Amy de la Haye
Monday 22 June 2015
An illustrated talk exploring the archives of couturiers Lucile and Worth.
More DetailsExtra Fan Making Workshop
Saturday 16 May
Due to high demand we have added in an extra Fan Making Workshop on Saturday 16 May! This session will be conducted by an experienced tutor who will not only provide expert guidance, but also a wealth of knowledge about the history and craft of fans.
More DetailsSeniors Open Day
Monday 23rd March 2015
On Monday 23 March 2015, The Fan Museum is holding a Seniors Open Day, free to everyone aged 55+. The aim of the Open Day is to encourage older people to visit the museum and learn more about the history of fans and craft of fan making.
More DetailsWellington: The Waterloo Years – Lecture
Monday 9th March 2015
To coincide with The Fan Museum exhibition, Waterloo: Life & Times, Robert Evans will give a lecture on the life of Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, with a focus on the period surrounding the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815.
More DetailsFriends visit to Leighton House
Thursday 19th February 2015
A visit to Leighton House, one of our National Trust Partners, is planned for Friends of The Fan Museum.
More DetailsValentine’s Day Afternoon Tea in the Orangery
Saturday 14th February 2015
Enjoy afternoon tea in the beautiful Orangery. We will be serving our delicious scones with jam and cream, a selection of freshly baked cakes, and handmade sandwiches. Bring along a bottle of bubbly to make it an extra special meal!
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