Our Fan Angel Benefactors

Gina Hook
Virginia Damon
Veronica McNiff
Grace Grayson
Mary a ladies
Charlotte 'Chim' Stokes
Jackie Morris
Geraldine Pember
Thomas DeLeo
Eileen Sisk
Sandra Lawrence
Ellen Dennis
Sarah Sanford Miller
Cheryl Fine

Charlotte 'Chim' Stokes

Charlotte 'Chim' Stokes of Pennsylvania is the first American fan collector to donate her fan collection to the Hand Fan Museum of America. The Museum is proud indeed to have the fans of a person who exemplifies some of the best qualities of creative Americans. Aside from being a wife and having raised a family, she is a sculptor, artist, author, illustrator, and an effective advocate for historic preservation and the natural environment.

Her artistic eye, education and experience gave her confidence to collect just what she liked. Hers is a very personal collection including gifts from loved ones, friends and the fans she herself designed.

She became interested in fans through her Pennsylvania childhood friend, fan collector Elsa James Zelly (nee Neitsche). Her opportunity to find fans came through travel, attendance at auctions and FANA events and contact with some truly knowledgeable East Coast antique dealers in the 1970's and 80's.when fan collecting was the challenge of discovery, finding the special among the obvious.

Chim Stokes has donated 140 plus fans of mostly European and Asian origin. Due to obvious space consideration, the staff has had to make some difficult choices winnowing the number to about 40 currently on exhibit. The viewer will see some strange and unusual fans, some of great beauty and with the glamour of a bye-gone time. The collections' great value is in helping to advance and promote education for all ages and in all areas. We hope the fans cause a gasp of pleasure at the craftsman- ship, a wonder of amazement at what human ingenuity can think -up, give a prod of curiosity to find out more about an historical era, a style, a people, a country, a culture--the world.

Pamela Sher, Founder

My Friend Chim Stokes

by Milena Eskew

This exhibition of fans belongs to my dearest and oldest friend, Charlotte (Chim) Stokes of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We were originally drawn together through garden club interests and joined forces in competing in flower shows with winning exhibits, and later enjoyed fan collecting. All through our long friendship of more than sixty years, she has been one who was curious about all things around her and always challenged herself to see the unusual in the particular interest of the moment. She is fortunate in being able to excel in everything she has ever attempted: painting, flower arranging, landscape design, fan collecting and also sculpture.... One of her pieces of an American Indian sits in the office of the Governor of Montana and another of a group of five children running around a maypole graces the entrance of the Philadelphia Stock Exchange. Her generosity in contributing her fan collection to the Hand Fan Museum in Healdsburg, California should encourage others to do the same ( I am giving mine), so that all who see these fans will find a sense of wonder, beauty and knowledge.

Milena M. Eskew
Sanibel Island, Florida
Member Board of Directors
Hand Fan Museum
September 2005