With my designer husband willing to help me out, I decided to take on the task of making a header for From Who Knows Wear. While browsing around online for images, and considering what photo I could shoot on my own, I kept coming back to the deco-ish floral pattern of this paper fan.
Picked up at an antique store, and currently residing on the side of the fridge, I have had this fan for about 15 years. It has traveled with me from apartment to apartment (a few times), to house, and finally to our home. Although the bit of masking tape holding its little tail on eventually failed, it seems strange to think that I have managed to keep this fancy little piece of paper over the years without ever tucking it away in an album.
Marveling at the time I have kept this delicate object in nearly one piece prompted me to do a little searching to see if I could figure out just how old it is. It was made by the Buzza Company out of Minneapolis, which was in business from 1907 to 1942. That makes this a pretty damn old piece of paper.
The back reads "Order of Dancers" with numbers 1-16 listed down the sides. At formal balls ladies once used dance cards such as this to keep track of their dance partners throughout the evening. I am sure the crest on the front could be a clue as to who was hosting the event.
Unfortunately, the back is blank, with not the name of one dancer listed. I am hoping my fan is just an unused party favor and not a long-living record of a danceless night.
Unfortunately, the back is blank, with not the name of one dancer listed. I am hoping my fan is just an unused party favor and not a long-living record of a danceless night.
