Fan, plastic, Great Britain, ca. 1940

Ventriloquism was a popular form of Variety act, especially in the mid 20th century, and these dolls are unusual in being part of an act of a female ventriloquist, Sandra Wells, who began her career as Joy Wilby, performing a touring song and dance act. During World War II she performed with ENSA, playing xylophone and saxophone to the troops in England, and after D-day in Germany.

She adopted the stage name Sandra Wells after the war, and as such became one of the very few successful female ventriloquists, developing an original act with her vent doll Horace Higgins, and her glove puppets Ernie and Elsie. In the 1950s and 1960s she specialised in pantomime, as a pantomime cat, appearing amongst others with Richard Hearne ('Mr. Pastry'), Bud Flanagan and Tommy Trinder. Elsie's fan is made of a cream plastic with a pattern pierced into it.