Birds of a Feather

The Fan Museum presents Birds of a Feather, which runs from 18th June to 13th September 2025.

We bring to you an exhibition, showcasing a variety of fans depicting and making use of birds from all around the world.

Fans on display depict familiar birds like swallows and ducks as well as birds like macaws and hummingbirds from faraway lands. In addition, the exhibition highlights the accomplished skills of making a feather fan and the ethical implications of using birds for fashion. Some of our exhibition highlights include an Argus Pheasant feather fan, some colourful Ostrich feather fans, an 11th century Peruvian fan (the oldest object in our collection), a selection of fixed fans with Hummingbirds and a male Pheasant courtesy of the Booth Museum of Natural History.

Argus Pheasant Fan, possibly France, c.1900, LDFAN1994.127 Hummingbird fixed feather fan, M.&E. Natté, Brazil, c.19th century, LDFAN1994.121.1 Pheasant feather fixed fan, North Korean, 21st century, LDFAN2025.3 Peruvian fixed fan, Peru, c.11th century, HA Collection 1425 Owl fan, England, c.1920, LDFAN1991.34