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Wetzel Family Hand Fan Collection

The Hand Fan Museum of Healdsburg presents the Wetzel collection of European Hand Fans on loan from the Healdsburg Museum and Historical Society.

Harry Wetzel and his wife Maggie, owners of the Alexander Valley Vineyards winery, inherited a collection of 23 fans that were purchased throughout the early 1900s by Harry's mother, Maude Wetzel. She collected these fans while living in Santa Monica, California. In 1999, Harry and Maggie Wetzel donated the fans to the Healdsburg Museum.

The Wetzel fans offer wonderful examples of hand-made lace, painted ivory and carved mother-of-pearl sticks, and hand painted European fan leaves from the periods of 1775 through 1925. Many of the painted scenes are of particular interest as they display the fashion and pastimes of the period. Because of the obvious care and attention Mrs. Wetzel gave to her fans, most are in nearly perfect condition.

The fans can be seen at the Hand Fan Museum from October through January 2005.  The Hand Fan Museum is located at 327A Healdsburg Avenue, on the side of Hotel Healdsburg. For more information (707) 431-2500 or check out the Hand Fan Museum's web site at www.handfanmuseum.com

A reception was held at the Hand Fan Museum on September 30, 2004, to note the opening of the exhibit.  Here a few pictures from that reception.

Daniel Murley & Whitney Hopkins, of the Healdsburg Museum, attending the reception.	Some of the crowd, outside of the Hand Fan Museum, at the reception.

Some of the fans on display at the Hand Fan Museum

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