Fantastic Fans...

...was the name of a talk at the Recycled Teenagers group talk this evening.  I must admit the title didn't fill me with excitement, but I was pleasantly surprised.  The lady giving the talk told us a potted history of the fan, starting in ancient Egypt where they were used by high-ranking men who were honoured to be chosen to fan the king.  Through the time when ladies adopted the fan as a fashion accessory and as an aid for flirting with the opposite sex.  Apparently ladies (and men) could attend classes to learn the 'language' of fans, all sorts of meaning and emotions could be conveyed by the way the fan was held or used.  At the other end of the scale (and time-frame) were advertising fans, given away to promote a business, such as the restaurant in London.