Mrs Hélène Alexander, Director of The Fan Museum, Joins Kevin Spacey, PD James and Moira Stuart as Clarion Award Winner
19 September 2007
PRESS RELEASE
The International Visual Communications Association (IVCA) yesterday announced the winners of the IVCA 2007 Clarion Awards at the BFI Southbank in London. The awards celebrate the role of the media industries in promoting a sustainable world.
Mrs Hélène Alexander FRSA, Director/Curator of The Fan Museum in Greenwich, and also its founder, won one of the three awards in the Champion Award Category, supported by Ipsos Mori. The award was presented to her for a lifetime’s dedication to research, conservation, education, and in particular making accessible to a broad public, understanding of an important art form. The judges commented “She has used communications to extend the reach and impact of her curatorship and to provide true access to a world status collection of great beauty, importance and cultural significance. Universally respected and admired for her work, her generosity and her humanity. As such she is a true, ‘keeper of the flame’”.
During the ceremony celebrity winners such as Moira Stuart, Kevin Spacey, Julie Christie and PD James spoke about the importance of ethical communications.
Kevin Spacey, who was collecting an award for his Old Vic New Voices scheme, commented: “Our belief is that you can use the artists and the tools of the theatre to help give a kid a chance to stand on stage and discover for themselves what they’re capable of. These are, we believe, the first seeds of confidence and to have been given a nod by the Clarions for the work we have done so far is enormously encouraging.”
Wayne Drew, CEO at the IVCA, said: “At their best, communications can substantially increase understanding of corporate social responsibility and sustainable development. These awards highlight the true importance of the work that communicators in business, the arts and media industries undertake.”
About the IVCA
The International Visual Communication Association (IVCA) has been in existence for over 40 years and is the not-for-profit trade association that represents corporate and public sector communications throughout the UK and Europe. It is the largest independent body of its kind in Europe.
About the Clarion Awards
The Clarion Awards were founded five years ago and aim to promote the finest examples of ethical and inspiring communication across all types of media and audiences. From Corporate Communications to Broadcast Media they reward outstanding work that makes a significant positive contribution to our society. Previous winners include Aviva, Barclays, BT, the BBC, the Al Gore film An Inconvenient Truth and the feature film United 93.
For a full list of winners please visit:
http://www.ivca.org/award-schemes/clarion-awards.html
For further information from the IVCA please contact:
Derek Ray-Hill 07740 864469.
Email:drh@ivca.org |
Descriptions of the Fans
1. From Chaumet, Paris
Tortoiseshell folding fan, one guard applied with an intricate design on silver studded with rose diamonds, cabochon rubies, emeralds and sapphires. The silver loop is studded with rose diamonds and the rivet is set on either side with two cabochon rubies. The leaf (mounted à l'Anglaise ) is of the finest black Chantilly de Bayeux lace, with a baroque shell and floral design.
In its own satin-lined tooled leather case from: MOREL & CIE., J. CHAUMET, (SUCCESSEUR), 62 RUE RICHELIEU, PARIS.
French, c. 1875 Length 29 cm.
Exhib. The Fan Museum , Lace Fans for Ladies , Cat. No. 22.
2. Love in half-mourning
Tortoiseshell folding fan, the guards encased in enamel plaques studded with pearls, the enamel medallions depicting putti , with flowers and trophies of love. The double black silk leaf is painted on one side only, with a representation of Psyche being borne away by Eros with attendant putti. Signed A. TOPART *. The rivet is tipped on both sides with gold mounted pearl florets with ruby centres. The gold loop is hallmarked .
The leather case is fitted and lined in red velvet, and even has its own key! Along the brass plate containing the locking system is the name of the éventailliste or rather the firm that sold this important fan: VIOLET, PARFR. 12 BD. DES CAPUCINES.
French, c. 1870 Length of fan 28.2 cm.
Exhib. The Fan Museum , The Jewel and the Fan , Cat. No. 38
*TOPART, Antonin Pierre, painter of enamels, portrait and "history painter", b. Paris 22.7.1833; pupil of E. Chauson. Debut: Salon of 1864.
3. Middle-age, Mourning (not illustrated)
Large wooden fan, the sticks and guards stained black with a silver and gold spray of flowers to one side. The black silk leaf is lined with black bombazine and interlined with paper. It is painted on one side in grey, with Cupid aiming his bow and arrow at a woman in soft draperies. This sombre fan is kept closed with a silver hallmarked clasp at the top, and one guardstick is applied with a silver decorative plaque (also hallmarked). The fan is furnished with a silver (hallmarked) loop to which are attached a hook and chain, and a button with an attachment to fix to a lady's belt.
With its original leather case, stamped on the satin inside the lid with a crown and the name W. THORNHILL*, 144 NEW BOND STREET , LONDON .
English ( monture probably Viennese), c. 1880s
Length of fan 35 cm.
* THORNHILL advertised exclusively in The Queen.
4. The America
Wooden fan with incised guards with flowers and marquetry. The maroon satin leaf is double and is interlined with paper. The obverse is painted with a yacht in full sail flying the Stars & Stripes pennant, which has been identified as The America * . The reverse is painted with the monogram JB among roses. Metal loop and fine maroon tassel.
In a black buttoned box lined with blue silk and with fan shaped label inside the lid from: Fabrique d'éventails de NATHALIE, 187A SLOANE STREET , LONDON .
c. 1880s Length of fan 35 cm.
Exhib. The Fan Museum , Sea Breezes , Cat. No. 48
* The America : a schooner yacht of 170 tons, built in New York specially to race in English waters. In 1851 she finished first in a race round the Isle of Wight to win a cup that has been known ever since as the America's Cup . After various episodes during which she was renamed Camilla and Memphis , she reverted to her original name. In 1873 she was sold to General Butler after she had been recommissioned as a yacht and for many years was used as a cruising yacht with occasional entries in races. The initials JB would indicate that this fan belonged to General Butler's wife.
5. White-Work
Blond tortoiseshell fan with fine white-work muslin leaf in a very fine tooled leather box, stamped inside the lid: Éventails Artistiques, FAUCON; 68, AVENUE DE L'OPÉRA; PARIS .
c.1900 Length of fan 29 cm.
6. Amazing Aluminium
A rare aluminium fan, the guards and loop gilt, the guards further enamelled, set with initials in rose diamonds. The rivet is set with garnets.
The leaf is painted in gouache on black silk gauze with Chantilly lace insertions, signed ADAM (indistinctly; could be MARIE ADAM ; in right reserve), with a fine black silk tassel.
Fitted velvet and satin lined leather box from P. SABE, 54 COURS DU CHAPEAU ROUGE, BORDEAUX .
French, c. 1890 Length of fan 32.5 cm.
*NB. Aluminium was discovered in the mid nineteenth century by a Frenchman, Sainte Claire Déville, who was financed by Napoleon III. The first kilo was produced in Nanterre at the cost of 8,000 Gold Francs! A very few rare fans of this kind are known; an aluminium fan is known to have been on show at the Karlsruhe exhibition of 1891.
7. Autographs
Blond tortoiseshell fan, one guard carved with putto in a rococo setting. The double paper leaf is painted on both sides with 29 drawings or paintings by Parisian painters (see note below) including: JOSEPH BLANC, MERSON, DETAILLE, PUVIS DE CHAVANNES, CORMON, FRANÇAIS, BOUGUEREAU, DE PENNE, BESNARD, GÉRÔME, FERMIET, MADELEINE LEMAIRE, HENRI MARTIN, ROCHE GROSSE, BENJAMIN CONSTANT, ALBERT MAIGNAN, VOLLON, AIMÉ MOROT, JULES BRETON, ROYBET, JEAN-PAUL LAURENS, CHÉRET, CAROLUS-DURAND, MUNKATCHY, HÉBERT, BONAT, S.S. HENNER, DAGNAN-BOUVERET .
In its box by: ERNEST KEES, FABRIQUE D'EVENTAILS, 9 BOULEVARD DES CAPUCINES, PARIS.
French, 1890-97 Length of fan 38 cm.
Autograph fans were fashionable in the second half of the 19 th century, specially with the development of the fashionable Salon, when ladies in society opened their doors on a particular afternoon in the week to the favoured echelons of society. In particular, towards the end of the century, these "afternoons" necessitated special "tea-gowns" for the ladies and influential people in all fields had an opportunity to "take stock" of each other.
It was in the field of the arts in particular that the fashionable hostess sought her visitors and thus it was that Madame Antonin Mercié, wife of the celebrated sculptor of his time (and member of the Institut) had the idea of commissioning three fans from Maison Kees to serve as autographs, separately, for painters, writers and others. In a signed letter, Mme. Antonin Mercié gives an account of this, and in this exhibition we show the fan for the painters, with drawings and paintings of the then fashionable artists. |
