Back then, as now, fans were both decorative and useful: you could swat flies and cool yourself down all while presenting yourself as a conspicuous member of the leisure class. The hand fan was ex ...

An online search of old fans will yield a variety of collectibles from the late 1800s. But some collectors want even older fans — the handheld, folding variety that were being made by the 1700s.

Can an air-conditioner do that? By Hilary Reid In the 19th century, Duvelleroy, a hand fan manufacturer in Paris, published a marketing pamphlet called “The Language of the Fan.” It featured a ...