Hand Fan and Box
PeriodCirca 1876
Place MadeNew York, New York, U.S.A.
MediumIvory, lace, wood, silk, moire satin, cardboard, brass
Dimensions13 in. (33 cm)
ClassificationsCostume, Women's
Credit LineGift of C. Alan Hudson, 1972
Object number1972.4.8
DescriptionA woman's hand fan, constructed of shaped ivory sticks held with a small brass pin, attached to a waist loop and a pink silk cord and tassel. The fan opens to reveal fine white lace. The fan retains its original storage box which is made of white celluloid glued to a wood base, hinged to reveal a pink moire satin padded lining. The lid fastens with a tiny brass hook and eye. "Ball, Black & Company" is stamped in gold on the underside of the box.NotesThis elegant lace and ivory fan, with its silk tassel and original storage box, was owned and used by Sara Kierstede Hudson. Born in Pennsylvania in 1854, Sara married successful stockbroker Charles Isaac Hudson in 1876. The couple lived in New York City. The fan may have been part of Sara's wedding trousseau, and would have been perfect for elegant dances, balls, and receptions in New York's glittering social life. The fan's maker, Ball, Black & Company, was one of the country's leading jewelers and silver retailers, and also offered fashionable accessories such as fans. Sara's son, Charles Alan Hudson, followed in his father's footsteps and became a successful stockbroker himself. Hudson lived in New York, Florida, and Rumson, and bequeathed a number of his mother's items to the Historical Association in 1972.
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