Pleated fan
1850â1870
Classification
costume & accessories
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Museum purchase from Eleanor G. Hewitt and Sarah Cooper-Hewitt Funds
Accession Number
1997-155-2
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Step into the elegant world of mid-19th-century American with this pleated fan, crafted between 1850 and 1870. During Victorian era and amid the Civil War, fans were indispensable accessories for women, serving practical purposes like cooling oneself in stuffy parlors or ballrooms while doubling as tools of subtle social communication. A pleated design allowed for compact storage in reticules or sleeves, unfolding into a graceful arc that complemented the era's voluminous crinolines and hoop skirts. Though the artist and exact medium remain unidentified—part of ongoing research at the Smithso...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...