Fan — Fan printed with the names of the subscribers to the boxes for the 1788 season at the Kings Theatre, London; with original box, London, 1788
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1788
Fan in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number S.1623:1 to 3-2014), made in London, dated 1788. The museum's brief description reads: Fan printed with the names of the subscribers to the boxes for the 1788 season at the Kings Theatre, London.
Paper leaf with ivory sticks in its original box, made in London, 1787. Museum description: Fan in original box, the fan printed with names of the subscribers to the boxes at the King's Theatre, London, 1788 The museum records it as Paper printed with ink, painted with watercolour, and decorated with gold foil, ivory guards and sticks, measuring Depth 2.8 cm; Length 25.8 cm; Width 4 cm; Height 24.1 cm; Width 2.5 cm; Depth 1.9 cm; Height 25 cm; Width 43 cm.
These details come from the museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
The King's Theatre, Haymarket, originally called the Queen's Theatre after the reigning monarch Queen Anne (1665-1714), was built by the architect and playwright Sir John Vanbrugh, opening in 1705. Between 1711 and 1739 more than twenty-five of Handel's operas premiered there. Renting a box at the opera for a season was a mark of social standing. These fans would have been a practical accessory in a hot theatre and useful for knowing who else might be there. Here we can see that the subscribers who rented boxes for the 1778 and 1788 seasons included Mrs Fitzherbert, mistress of the Prince of Wales, and other members of society including the Duke of Gloucester. To prove their right to seats in the box, subscribers were issued with bone or ivory tokens from a bank in Pall Mall. Things changed however after a fire of 1789 when the theatre was rebuilt and a less fashionable season was introduced.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- ivory, paper, cardboard, foil, watercolour, ink
- Dimensions
- Depth 2.8 cm; Length 25.8 cm; Width 4 cm; Height 24.1 cm; Width 2.5 cm; Depth 1.9 cm; Height 25 cm; Width 43 cm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Paper printed with ink, painted with watercolour, and decorated with gold foil, ivory guards and sticks
- Place recorded
- London
Identification
- Museum object name
- Fan
- Museum object number
- S.1623:1 to 3-2014
- Museum system number
- O1297014
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type, maker and date against a specialist reference.