As spring blooms into summer, it is only appropriate that we take a look at one of the most beautiful, intricate, and popular ways of staying cool from over 100 years ago — the handheld fan!

Since their invention, handheld fans have been a coveted accessory of high society. Their designs and materials shifted with fashion and social trends, yet they consistently remained objects of artistry and elegance. Folding fans appeared in Europe in the late 16th century, and by the 18th century, they had become so popular that both men and women carried them.

These graceful accessories, often crafted of ivory, lace, or silk, also conveyed meaning through a “language of the fan.” A flick of the wrist or subtle twirl could signal interest, intrigue, or dismissal, all without a word being spoken. Beyond their social utility, fans stood as symbols of refinement, affluence, and style, remaining fashionable well into the mid-20th century.

These examples date from the late 19th century. As Victorian fashions introduced larger bustles and more voluminous gowns, fan sizes expanded to match. Their slim, lightweight sticks — typically made of ivory or wood — supported leaves of gauze, lace, or silk, often painted with naturalistic designs such as flowers, birds, or butterflies, and occasionally enhanced with glittering steel or silver spangles. Over the span of 10 years, these late Victorian fans have both similarities in their designs and differences as aesthetic interests changed and evolved.

Lace sits on delicately carved ivory sticks for this stunning fan from 1875. Finely decorated with purple blooms and sprigs of bluebells, the painted elements interact with and play with the floral patterns woven into the lace itself. Additionally dotted with small silver decorations, this fan is a fascinating study of using multiple techniques to beautify an object with a largely “practical” purpose.

Green silk and painted wood craft the body of this fan, hand-painted with nature motifs and butterflies. In the late Victorian era, butterflies were a popular symbol, particularly for jewelry and accessories. The butterfly was believed to represent the soul, and was a source of Victorian fascination due to its metamorphosis, thought to be comparable to human growth and transformation. The butterfly was also used frequently in Japanese art, another Victorian interest. While the butterfly held symbolic weight and intrigue, we can also understand it as an aesthetic and fashionable motif: one can picture the butterflies on this fan “moving” through the air as the fan was waved back and forth!

This 1885 fan is constructed of hand-painted lisse displayed on finely carved ivory sticks. The fan’s bones are intricately carved, but the fabric itself is kept simple except for the vibrant burst of flowers stretching across the fan’s body. Though the fan dates before the Art Nouveau style developed and took hold, the long lines, asymmetrical design, and Japanese-inspired flowers are all deeply reminiscent of the style.

The Wellesley Historical Society hosts a vast collection of accessories, dating from the late 18th-century until now. These three fans, along with several others, are currently on display in our exhibition Wellesley Through Time, up through June 17th, 2026. Stop by for a last chance visit!

Every month, the Wellesley Historical Society highlights an object from its collection. These objects capture Wellesley stories, both those well-known to us and those yet uncovered. Historic artifacts symbolize and convey important narratives, whether that is the hard-working craftsman behind a piece or a written document that shaped the town’s future. As such, the Wellesley Historical Society collections capture the entirety of Wellesley as a town, from significant happenings to sentimental mementos.

More: Past Object of the Month posts

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The “golden age” of greeting cards spanned from the late Victorian period into the Edwardian period. In the mid-19th century, greeting cards and postcards became more accessible and affordable due to improvements in printing technology. As sending and receiving postcards became more commonplace, their design grew to become more elaborate, with elements such as lace, fabric, and gilting emerging as trends.

Greeting cards and postcards are a fascinating example of how we have communicated across time. Their featured art and design can also tell a larger story of popular symbols, motifs, and cultural interest in a given time period. For May’s object of the month, we take a look at four greeting cards from the Wellesley Historical Society’s archives.

Valentine’s Day Card, Late Victorian Period:

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This storybook-esque Valentine’s Day card was produced by Marcus Ward & Co., an Irish publishing company active from 1833 to 1899 that was known for its illustrated books for children and adults. Marcus Ward & Co. began producing cards from the late 1860s onward to massive success, employing famous and beloved children’s book illustrator Kate Greenaway. Marcus Ward & Co. cards have been preserved in museums across the world, notably the V&A Museum in London.

This lace-trimmed card features a maiden in medieval garb, a dove and a love letter, implied to have just been received from a suitor, settled within her arms. The card leans into nature motifs as comparison to blossoming affection, with flowers budding along the bare tree in the background and blooms appearing in the grass. The picturesque image is accompanied by a poem, in which the suitor is reassured by the doves that his paramour’s heart is not unkind to him.

Birthday Card, 1911:

This spring-like birthday card was sent to a Miss Agnes Goddard for her birthday on December 3rd, 1911. The card is bound with a thin pale blue ribbon, and its edges are embossed. The card can be opened to a message within, but there is a traditional divided back postcard on the back as well.

The card is adorned with a burst of bright blue forget-me-nots before a wider landscape scene. Forget-me-nots were an immensely popular motif in the Edwardian era, symbolizing true love, friendship, and remembrance. They appear on several other cards in the Wellesley Historical Society collection. Edwardian birthday cards also often featured a short poem or fragment of a poem.

Embroidered Postcard, Edwardian Era:

Produced in Spain, this postcard was never posted, but instead kept as a keepsake or memento. The postcard boldly mixes both media and art style. The printed background of the card shows a fan with intricately carved wood and its body displaying a Rococo-inspired scene of lovers courting one another. The bold and brilliant-colored embroidery stands in sharp juxtaposition, making the postcard feel unexpectedly modern. Other cards of this same make similarly featured a fan in the background, always with a classical scene of lovers or courtesans.

Mother’s Day Card, 1950s:

As a more modern example, it is only right that the greeting cards for the month of May include a Mother’s Day card! The Volland Company made cards from 1908-1959, including this one featuring bright pink tulips and tied with a pale pink ribbon. The simple design, from the detailed flowers to the script font on the front of the card, feels closely reminiscent of modern day greeting cards. Inside of the card is a poem, the end of which reads “You grow more like your Mother every single day.”

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Every month, the Wellesley Historical Society highlights an object from its collection. These objects capture Wellesley stories, both those well-known to us and those yet uncovered. Historic artifacts symbolize and convey important narratives, whether that is the hard-working craftsman behind a piece or a written document that shaped the town’s future. As such, the Wellesley Historical Society collections capture the entirety of Wellesley as a town, from significant happenings to sentimental mementos.