Banner Image: (left to right) Peacock Hand Fan, circa 1925, Guelph Museums 1982.55.8, Ostrich Feather Fan, not dated, Guelph Museums 1981.46.21, Koldaire Electric Fan, not dated, Guelph Museums 2006.20.14,

Drawing from our collection of over 80 fans and related photographs, postcards, and ephemera, this exhibition considers the local and global histories, technological innovation, and cultural significance of fans.

From palm leaves and flywhisks to folding and industrial fans, The Origin of Fan reflects the creativity and ingenuity of human invention over 5,000 years. Learn about fans as cross-cultural, sacred, and secular objects – and how the museum came to hold so many examples.