Seduced! Fans and the Art of Advertising

Exploring how fans were used to advertise luxury goods and leisure activities in the 1900s.

In the days before glossy magazine campaigns and slick TV commercials, brands relied on more humble ways of advertising their wares. From restaurants and perfumeries to haute couture fashion houses, the fan became the promotional tool of choice in the early 20th century. By 1930, even luxury champagne producer Möet & Chandon was producing designs.

Focusing particularly on the aesthetics of Art Deco, the exhibition traces the use of fans in advertising during the interwar period. Bringing together designs by Georges Barbier, Leonetto Cappiello and René Gruau, it reveals how these seemingly innocuous items actually sparked the beginnings of modern consumerist culture.


Venue details

Fan Museum 12 Crooms Hill, Greenwich London SE10 8ER 020 8305 1441 www.thefanmuseum.org.uk

Entry details

Free with National Art Pass (standard entry £4)

Tue – Sat, 11am – 5pm
Sun, 12 – 5pm

Closed 1 – 10 Jan, 18 Apr, 4 Oct, 24 – 26 Dec