Paper and rattan church hand fans, 6 fans, 11 sides (Front View)
Item
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Title
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Paper and rattan church hand fans, 6 fans, 11 sides (Front View)
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Description
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A sampling of paper and rattan hand fans, mid-20th century. The fans have religious imagery on the front and advertisements for funeral home services on the reverse. Church fans used at Mt. Zion African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church.
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Church fans are culturally significant items in African American churches, like the Mt. Zion AME Church. They have continued to be used despite late 20th century air conditioning. Hand fans were commonly distributed—often compliments of local Black-owned businesses, funeral homes, or civic organizations— serving both practical and promotional purposes. The printed ads on the back provide insights into Mt Zion’s local economy and community networks. Frontside typically included religious imagery, inspirational quotes, family themes, or prominent Black figures. Click on the image and view the annotations listed for the 6 fans.
Some fans are exhibited in museums like the National Museum of African American History & Culture, or collected by institutions like the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. In a few cases church fans are sought after by collectors of Black Memorabilia, folk art and vintage advertising. Other fans possess market value and can be sought after in vintage stores and in online commerce sites such as Etsy and eBay.
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Contributor
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Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum
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Date Created
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(c. 1940-1960)
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Creator
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Mt. Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church
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Rights
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This work is not in copyright, but commercial uses of this digital representation are limited. For more information, contact info@ssaamuseum.org and see http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-NC/1.0/
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Identifier
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Unknown
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Format
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Physical Object
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Extent
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11 items
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Spatial Coverage
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Hillsborough Twp. NJ
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Publisher
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SSAAM
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Is Part Of
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2023.1.20-22
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Subject
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Fans
