The Ironic Porcelain Fan
Press Release
For Immediate Release
Date: March 20, 2010
Contact: Dr. Margaret Carney, Director and Curator
The Blair Museum of Lithophanes
419-245-1356 or 419-535-5770
Re: The Ironic Porcelain Fan
Finally there is a reason for everyone to visit the Blair Museum of Lithophanes. For Museum supporters, they will be excited to attend the unveiling of the Museum’s latest special exhibition The Ironic Porcelain Fan, with a free opening reception with refreshments, 2-4 p.m. on Sunday May 2nd; and for those who have just been waiting for the opportunity to check out Toledo’s best kept secret treasure – the latest exhibit features fans – yes, fixed, folded and feathered, mostly from the 19th century. The exhibition includes a few rare complexion fans or hand screens that feature lithophanes mounted as fans.
The hand screen is, at times, referred to as a complexion fan. Complexion fans were a clever invention, popular in Victorian times, which protected the waxy makeup of both men and women from the threat of meltdown from the heat of the fires, lamps, or candles of the time. They also protected one’s eyes from the light and heat. No one will be parading around in 19th century garb, but the Museum visitor will have the opportunity to witness a marvel of the fashion world, a useful innovation involving both high-tech science and art. Fans from private collections in New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut are included in this exhibition, along with loans from the Toledo Museum of Art. In addition to the special exhibit, more than 750 lithophanes are currently on view.
Lithophanes are three-dimensional translucent porcelain plaques which when backlit reveal detailed magical images. First created in Europe in the 1820s, the largest collection of the 19th century art form in the world is now on view at the Blair Museum of Lithophanes. Located at the Toledo Botanical Garden, 5403 Elmer Drive, the Museum is open free-of-charge, Saturdays and Sundays 1-4 p.m., May 2-October 31, 2010. Group or individual tours may be arranged at other times, year round, for a nominal fee by phoning 419-245-1356 or by sending an email to the curator via the website www.lithophanemuseum.org