Paper 47

British Dance Fans, 1789-1822

Contributed by Paul Cooper, Research Editor

Hand fans were an essential accessory to the Ball Room of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In this paper we'll consider their purpose and investigate the phenomenon of dance fans (fans with dance instructions printed on them). Two notable categories of dance fans exist, those printed in the 1790s featuring country dances and those in the 1810s featuring quadrilles (an example of which can be seen in Figure 1). We'll consider why such fans existed and how they might have been used. We'll also consider some anecdotes that offer insight into how fans might be used in the ballroom.

Figure 1. Edward Payne's 1817 Quadrille Fan

The Myth of a Fan Language

Before we go on to consider the historical use of fans we'll first investigate a romantic and persistent myth regarding the fan; this myth involves the existence of a Fan Language, a vocabulary of hand signals by which lovers might broadcast complex messages to each other across a crowded ball room. The myth has been widely debunked but the concept remains popular, some modern enthusiasts want to believe in the existence of such a language.

The myth is understood to derive from the later 19th century, the fan manufacturer James Duvelleroy promoted the language as a marketing gimmick for his commercial activities. His language involved specific fan movements which could convey such messages as we are watched, do not betray our secret or I wish to speak to you. Duvelleroy claimed that his language had been used in ballrooms for centuries, unfortunately there's little credible evidence to support that proposition. Proponents of the concept remain active however. Several modern commentators claim that the language was documented in 1740; for example Wikipedia, at time of writing incorrectly records that In a 1740 edition of the Gentleman's Magazine, there was an advertisement for The New Fashioned Speaking FAN! This speaking fan created a system whereby motions of the fan translated into letters of the alphabet.. The edition of the Gentleman's Magazine referenced is available to read on the web (courtesy of the University of Michigan and the Hathi Trust), it actually carried a satirical poem titled On the New Fashioned Fans with Motto's, An Epigram. The poem began with the line A Speaking Fan! a very pretty thought, it explored the concept of secreting conversation topics onto a fan so as to impress one's interlocutor with clever observations, this speaking fan was nothing more than a cheat-sheet so as to avoid being short of something to say. The 1740 poem provides no evidence of a complex language of fan fluttering gestures having existed at that date . The closest I've found to a genuine historical source for the language is a satirical comment published in the Morning Chronicle newspaper for the 31st of March 1806, it wrote: In Italy, says a modern author, a lover, at a ball, places two fingers on his mouth, which signifies to a lady, you are handsome, and I wish to speak to you. If she touches her cheek with her fan, and lets it gently drop, that signifies I consent. But if she turns her hand, it is to order him to be off.. It hints (whilst not to be taken overly seriously) that individual communities might have invented their own language of fan gestures. But if evidence of a general fan language could be found then that concept must surely have been satirical, it can't have been a practical secret language if messages could be decoded by half the people in the room!

The 1790s saw a profusion of printed fan leaves published in London, they were distributed around the country and then purchased by the public, often from haberdasheries. Hundreds of copies might be printed and sold; customers would cut the fan out, fold the paper into pleats and attach it to slats for use, most would wear out and might then be replaced with another such design. These ephemeral paper fans could be decorated with almost any design, dance related themes were not uncommon. Some were coloured by hand, either before or after purchase.

Figure 2. Three communication fans: the 1797 Ladies Conversation Fan (left), the 1798 Ladies Telegraph Fan (centre) and the c.1790-1800 Dumb Speaking Fan (right)

At least two designs were published in the 1790s that genuinely could involve projecting messages across a ballroom, such novelties might be seen as a genuine variation on the concept of a fan language. One such fan had the title Fanology or the Ladies Conversation Fan (it was advertised for sale in The Observer newspaper for the 28th May 1797, see Figure 2 (left)), it offered a semaphore like system for waving the fan so as to broadcast a letter of the alphabet; with sufficient patience an entire message could be transmitted. The other had the title The Ladies Telegraph, for Corresponding at a Distance (advertised in the Morning Post for the 25th April 1798, see Figure 2 (centre)), it encouraged the user to point to parts of the fan so as to indicate a specific letter, once again a sentence could be projected in this way. Such parlour games may have been amusing but they weren't practical mechanisms for communicating lovers to evade the oversight of their chaperones. If you'd like to read more about these fans then I can recommend an article about them hosted on the Owlcation website. A further Dumb Speaking Fan of unknown date (see Figure 2 (right)) offered tuition in a gesture based signing language, it had a practical use for anyone needing to communicate with the deaf or dumb.

It is of course possible that individuals devised their own secret communication schemes for passing messages across a room, such languages might involve use of a hand fan; no such system was widely adopted and understood in the Regency era Assembly Rooms however.

Figure 3. Matthew Towle's 1768 Six Positions of the Fan.

18th Century Fan Etiquette

The existence of a complex fan language may be myth but young ladies were taught how to hold a fan with grace and elegance (much as they might be taught how to stand, walk or converse with propriety). Matthew Towle published his The Young Gentleman and Lady's Private Tutor in March 1768 (Oxford Journal, 19th March 1768), it contained a list of the six Positions of the Fan, genteel and very becoming so that young Ladies should know how to make a genteel and proper use of the fan.

Towle advised (with reference to the images in Figure 3):

Position the First, observe the Curt'sie, the Fan between the tip of the Thumb and the first Finger, the head of the Mount easily leaning towards the Right Elbow.

Figure the Second, represents a young Lady sitting in the second Position of the Fan, the mount of the Fan in the palm of her right Hand, and the handle in the palm of her left, the Fan erect and the left Elbow easily bending towards her left Side, and her right at a proper Distance from her right Side.

Figure the Third, represents a young Lady sitting in the third Position of the Fan, the mount of the Fan in the palm of her left Hand resting in her Lap, and the handle in the palm of her right Hand, the right Elbow bending easily towards her right Side, and her left Elbow at a proper Distance from her left.

Figure the Fourth, represents a young Lady sitting in the fourth Position of the Fan, the mount easily bearing in her Lap, with her left Hand upon the handle and her right hand upon that, both bending genteely to wards the Body.

Figure the Fifth, represents a young Lady standing in the fifth Position of the Fan, the Fan extended; the handle of the Fan in the palm of her left Hand, the end of her Thumb touching the great Stick towards her right Side, and her little Finger touching the Stick towards the lest Arm; thus you see the Fan extended and fit for Service, and the Fingers thus placed render the Hand genteel and agreeable, and the Elbows being at a proper Distance from the Side, render the whole Body agreeably genteel.

The Sixth Position of the Fan. (See Figure the third in Walking.) The Fan in the right Hand, bearing easily on the Point of the first Finger, the Head of the Mount pointing over the left Arm, the Elbows at a proper Distance from the Body.

The phrase flirting a fan is sometimes used to describe the process of using a fan; this can result in an opportunity for humour. The Derby Mercury for the 26th April 1792 published the following joke: At a late ball given at Richmond, a finish'd coquette asked a gentleman near her, whilst she adjusted her tucker Whether he could flirt her fan? which he held in his hand: No, madam, answered he, proceeding to use it, but I can fan a flirt. Several variants of this joke circulated at aound that date.

Male use of a Fan

The fan was primarily an item for female use. Occasional references to fans being used by men do exist, these typically involve a man fanning a lady; a man who used a fan on himself in a ballroom might have been thought effeminate. Rare images do exist of men carrying or holding fans, far more images survive of perspiring men waving their hats in front of their heads for relief from the heat, or of their wiping a sweaty forehead with a handkerchief. Figure 4 shows several men using fans in a ballroom, two of which involve a man fanning a lady; the images date between c.1788 and c.1817.

Figure 4. Details from a selection of ballroom scenes in which men are seen to be holding or using (what appear to be) fans.

The Globe newspaper for the 13th of December 1809 carried a report of a legal dispute following a fight between two men at a ball. Part of the escalation involved one man (a veteran soldier) offending the other (a junior officer) over use of a fan. The story is of some interest as it describes a ballroom scene, the incidental details are illustrative of a typical ballroom. What follows is an condensed version of the original Harney v. Simpson text.

Mr H.D. Grady, in a most elegant, lively, and interesting manner, entered into a detail of the facts which were as follow:- After drawing a comparison between the rank of the parties, Mr Harney being the son of an hotel-keeper, and Mr Percy Simpson, a man of family and affluence, the one had distinguished himself in the rebellion as a brave soldier, and, in the Meath Militia, acquitted himself, when sent on a dangerous service, with unexampled intrepidity - the other, the "gallant bearing Percy," is an Ensign in the 6th Garrison Battalion, whose name was not in the annals of glory. On the 16th of August last, Mr Harney went to a ball, given at Mrs Dunbar's boarding house, in the Black Rock; he was introduced by a friend to a young lady, with whom he danced the first set after supper; while going down the middle, at the request of a gentleman, first supposed to be Mr Simpson, the music stopped. Mr Harney called out for it to go on again; it did so, and the set was finished. Mr Simpson then said to the music, in a very sarcastic manner, now that the honourable gentleman has danced down, you may stop. Mr Harney replied, that he hoped he was an honourable man, and, Mr. Redcoat, I have worn His Majesty's cloth several years, and I hope I have never disgraced it, Mr. Redcoat!

Mr Simpson, flirting a fan in his hand, answered, I do not know you; we fashionables don't know you. Mr Harney replied, Sir, you are better adapted to flirt a fan, than wield a sword. After this Mr Simpson retired among the ladies, and took no further notice of what he then said.

About an hour after a stranger called Mr Harney aside, and told him, that, from his gentlemanlike conduct, he thought it right to put him on his guard against a plot, which was to flog him. In a short time the Ensign, with a number of his companions, approached Mr Harney, and thus addressed him, You have offended me, put down your hands, fellow; if you do not make me an apology, I will flog you. In vain did Mr. Harney remonstrate, the gallant Ensign took off his sword, obtained a rattan from some one, which he first applied to the shoulders of Mr Harney; and thinking that chastisement too trifling, had recourse to his fists, and beat him severely.

What followed was a cross examination of witnesses in the court, then the judge offered instruction to the jury.

The Jury retired, and, after considering 40 minutes, brought in a verdict of 350l damages against the Defendant, Percy Simpson, to the satisfaction of a crowded Court, as it appeared a most wanton assault.

In this instance Simpson's use of a fan was characterised as being part of his degenerate character; the implication was that no true soldier would flirt a fan in a ballroom. Some men might use a fan for their own comfort, doing so would make them an easy target for humour; in this instance it was well deserved.

Identifying a Lady from her Fan

Figure 5. A Folding fan with peepholes, c.1730, image courtesy of the Fan Museum

A great variety of fans might be expected in a ball room, each lady having her own favourite. Regular ball goers may come to associate a fan with its owner. An improbable anecdote on this theme was published in the 1847 Traditions of Edinburgh by Robert Chambers; it alleged that about the middle of the last century there existed a convention at one of the Edinburgh assemblies of selecting partners for the season by way of a fan. The account is as follows:

The dancing-room opened directly from the lobby, and above stairs was a tea-room. The former had a railed space in the centre, within which the dancers were arranged, while the spectators sat round on the outside; and no communication was allowed between the different sides of this sacred pale.

...

There being but one set allowed to dance at a time, it was seldom that any person was twice on the floor in one night. The most of the time was spent in acting the part of lookers-on; which threw great duties in the way of conversation upon the gentlemen. These had to settle with a partner for the year, and were upon no account permitted to change, even for a single night. The appointment took place at the beginning of the season, usually at some private party or ball, given by a person of distinction, where the fans of the ladies were all put into a gentleman's cocked hat; the gentlemen put in their hands, and took a fan; and to whomsoever the fan belonged, that was to be his partner for the season. In the general rigours of this system, which sometimes produced ludicrous combinations, there was, however, one palliative - namely, the fans being all distinguishable from each other, and the gentleman being in general as well acquainted with the fan as the face of his mistress, and the hat being open, it was possible to peep in, and exercise, to a certain extent, a principle of selection, whereby he was perhaps successful in procuring an appointment to his mind.

The truth of the story seems improbable; but who knows, perhaps such a convention of fan based partner selection really did exist in Edinburgh in the 1750s. What is clear is that a fan's owner might be readily identified, hiding one's face behind a fan was unlikely to conceal one's identity.

18th Century Fan Production

The technology for producing folded paper fans evolved across the 18th and 19th Centuries.

Figure 6. A Fan Painter, Detail from the cover of Illustrirte Zeitung magazine (Leipzig) from the 17th January 1885

Fans had formerly been painted by hand, the rise of printed fan reduced the need for this genteel occupation. The 1753 General Shop Book recorded that The Fan Painter was once a very gainful employment, a mount having been sold for forty or fifty pounds, and more; but now they are printed, the painter has very little encouragement to exercise his skill. Fan mounts were increasingly printed such that skilled painters were in less demand. Fan making retained importance however: The Fan-maker, who makes sticks usually of ivory or box, mounts them with the paper he purchases of the painter. He takes eight or ten pounds with an apprentice, and the people he employs earn from fifteen to twenty shillings a week. Thirty or forty pounds will set him up..

The Encyclopædia Britannica of 1792 further explored the concept of fan production; it reported:

The sticks are usually provided by the cabinet-makers or toymen; the fan-painters plait the papers, paint, and mount them.

The common painting is either in colours or gold leaf applied on a silvered ground, both prepared by the gold beaters. Sometimes they paint on a gold ground, but it is rarely; true gold being too dear, and false too paltry. To apply the silver leaves on the paper, they use a composition, which they pretend is a great secret, but which appears to be no other than gum Arabic, sugar candy, and a little honey melted in common water, and mixed with a little brandy. This composition is laid on with a sponge; then laying the silver leaves thereon, and pressing them gently down with a linen ball stuffed with cotton, they catch hold, and adhere together. When, instead of silver, gold ground is laid, the same method is observed. The ground being well dried, a number of the papers are well beaten together on a block, and by this means the silver or gold get a lustre as if they had been burnished.

Country Dance Fans of the 1790s

A convention had arisen in the 18th century ballroom by which the leading couple in a country dance would be invited to call the dance; the leading couple, typically the leading lady, would get to name a tune and the figures to be danced to that tune, then lead off the dance. It was an honour to receive this opportunity, one commentator described it as being for a while the Queen of the Party (Manchester Mercury, 28th November 1752). We've explored this concept further in another paper, you might like to follow the link to read more

Figure 7. A New Fan advertised by L. Sudlow, from The Times newspaper for 17th December 1789.

If one received the opportunity to call a dance then it would be awkward and embarrassing if the selected tune and figure combination were undanceable. The master of ceremonies might relegate a couple to the bottom of the set if they consistently failed to call a viable dance. Fan manufacturers found a commercially sensible solution - they could print fans with country dances on them, something a lady could discretely consult when invited to call a dance; the tunes would be sufficiently fashionable that the musicians should know them and the associated figures would be compatible with the tune. Ladies outside London might get to call dances using what they believed to be fashionable London arrangements, whether such dance tunes were genuinely popular in London is another matter of course!

The first of the dance fans was, as far as I can discern, published in late 1789. The Times newspaper for the 17th December 1789 carried an advertisement on behalf of L. Sudlow, Fan Manufacturer which offered A New Fan, called the Country Dance Fan, containing Eighteen of the most new and favourite Country Dances, with the Music and Figures properly adapted to each, as performed at Court, Bath, and all public places of Assembly (see Figure 7). It added the postscript To be Published Annually. A year later Sudlow advertised (The Times, 16th December 1790) A New Country Dance Fan, for 1791, consisting of a Beautiful Medalion, and Fourteen entire New Country Dances, (adapted for the Harpsichord, &c.) with their proper Figures, as performed at Court, Bath, and all Public Assemblies.. These fans must have been somewhat successful as further country dance fans were indeed published, though whether the Sudlows offered one per year is uncertain - if they did then many remain lost.

Sometime shortly thereafter a pair of dance fans were issued dedicated to Princess Charlotte of Prussia commemorating the wedding of the Duke of York, they were probably issued in late 1791 or early 1792, one featured 16 country dances the other 13. The New Caricature Dance For for 1794 was issued in November 1793 by Stokes, Scott & Croskey, it featured 14 Country Dances and was decorated with 14 images of couples dancing. The manufacturer S. Ashton advertised a Country Dance Fan for 1794 (The Times, 28th February 1794); Ashton also went on to issue her A Dance Fan for 1798, a fan which included suggested figures for 35 different country dances (though with no music). 1799 saw the publication of at least two dance fans celebrating Nelson's victory at the Battle of the Nile, the Nelson & Victory fan had figures for 18 country dances (and a list of the battle ships involved in the action), The New Egyptian Dance Fan for 1799 included music and figures for some 20 country dances. The New Country Dance Fan for 1802 included music and figures for 15 country dances; the Roscius Dance Fan for 1805 included 12 country dances and a New Country Dance Fan for 1806 was also published. A couple of the fans are unusual for containing a mixture of dance forms; the Ten Country Dances, Four Strathspeys, And Four Reels, For The Year 1792 fan included four Strathspey tunes with no associated dancing figures, perhaps implying that these dances weren't considered to be choreographed (unlike the four Reels for which Country Dancing figures were provided); the 1793 Ten of the most favorite Country Dances & Five Cotillons fan included five Cotillions or square dances. Many further examples may have been published, at time of writing these are the only examples I know of (do Contact Us if you are lucky enough to have access to more!).

The dance fan seems to have fallen from favour thereafter, if further examples were published then I've no evidence for them. These paper fans were designed to be used in the ballroom where they inevitably wore out, it's no surprise that so few examples are known to survive. There may have been many more designs in circulation that are no longer known. I lack any anecdotes of their having been used at historical balls and assemblies but they surely must have been used, for why else would so many designs be printed over 15 or more years? They certainly weren't purchased for musicians to play from (many are so small that they can barely be read with the naked eye)!

Content of the Country Dance Fans

Most of the dances from the fans are known from other published sources. There were several music shops in London that issued annual collections of 24 Country Dances for the Year X, more began doing so over the course of the 1790s. It's from these works that the content of the fans are generally drawn. Many of these collections were issued towards the end of the preceding year; if, for example, a dance was issued for the year 1790 it may in fact have been published in late 1789. The cover of most such collections would boast that they contained fashionable tunes, whether the tunes would in fact prove to become fashionable was uncertain, most probably didn't. Those tunes that found their way onto dance fans may have experienced a better chance of success.

The following table investigates the content of the fans that I have access to; where possible we'll identify the names and probable sources of the dances. My archives are incomplete of course, if the origin of a tune can't be identified then it's probably from a volume I've yet to encounter. The tunes are sometimes known from many different sources, often with different suggested dance figures attached in each publication; where possible we've identified sources with the same dancing figures as appear on the fan, though in some examples the fan seems to include original choreographies not known from elsewhere.

Details	Contents
Eighteen of the Most Favourite Country Dances, with their proper figures adapted to each as performed at Court, Bath, &c., 1789 [advertised by L. Sudlow in December 1789]	The Bastille [probably also in Prestons's 24 Country Dances for 1790], La Malbro [also in Budd's 12th Book for 1784], The White Cockade [also in Campbell's c.1788 3rd Book], Theodore [also in Werner's 16th Book for 1783 where it is arranged as a Cotillion], What a Beau your Granny Was [also in Thompson's c.1790 12 New Cotillions and 12 Country Dances], New German Spa [also in Budd's 13th Book for 1784], La Belle Catherine [also in Werner's 18th Book for 1785], Mrs Casey [also in Thompson's 24 Country Dances for 1788], Poor Jack [probably also in Prestons's 24 Country Dances for 1790], Patty Clover [probably also in Skillern's 24 Country Dances for 1789], Union Dance, Lady Charles Spencer's Fancy [also in Thompson's 24 Country Dances for 1779], Nottingham Races [also in Thompson's c.1780 Compleat Collection, volume 4], Tartan Pladdie [also in Skillern's 24 Country Dances for 1788], La Fete de Village [also in Thompson's 24 Country Dances for 1778], Capt Mackintosh's Fancy [probably also in Prestons's 24 Country Dances for 1789], Astley's Hornpipe [also in Thompson's 24 Country Dances for 1785], Money Musk [also in Werner's 18th Book for 1785] As the title suggests, these genuinely were some of the most favourite country dances at the time of publication, most are known from several other sources.
Fourteen new Country Dances for 1791, with their proper figures as performed at Court, Bath, and all polite Assemblies, 1790 [advertised by E. Sudlow in December 1790]	Revolution de la France, The British Flag, The Westminster Election, Amazonian Archers, No Taxes, The New Parliament, The Greenwich Pensioner, The Shrubery, Bucks of Europa, The Triple Alliance, The Ultimatum, Baroness Nagel's Fancy, The Target As the title suggests, these dances seem to have genuinely been new. They may have been composed and arranged specifically for publication on this fan. If so, it's unclear how musicians would be expected to perform the tunes; if someone called for such a tune then it wouldn't already be known.
Eighteen of the Most Favourite New Country Dances, c.1791 [probably late 1790 or early 1791]	Duke of Clarence's Fancy [also in Skillern's 24 Country Dances for 1791, with slightly different figures], The Harriot [also in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1787, with slightly different figures and minor changes to the score], Payne's Jigg, Dibdin's Fancy [also in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1791, with slightly different figures and minor changes to the score], Whim of the Moment [also in Skillern's 24 Country Dances for 1791, with slightly different figures], Sir Alexander Don, Duncan Gray [also in Campbell's 24 Country Dances for 1790], The Haunted Tower [also in Skillern's 24 Country Dances for 1791, with slightly different figures and minor changes to the score], Waltz [also in Longman & Broderip's 18 Country Dances for 1791, with slightly different figures and minor changes to the score], The Birth Day [also in Longman & Broderip's 18 Country Dances for 1791, with slightly different figures and minor changes to the score], Kiss me Sweetly [also in Campbell's 24 Country Dances for 1790, with slightly different figures], Dreary Dun [also in Campbell's 24 Country Dances for 1790, with slightly different figures and minor changes to the score], Captain McLean [also in Campbell's 24 Country Dances for 1790, with slightly different figures and minor changes to the score], Jem of Aberdeen [also in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1790], Miss Dykes Fancy, The Highland Club, Garthland [also in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1790], The Fife Hunt [also in Skillern's 24 Country Dances for 1791, with slightly different figures] Most of the content for this fan is derived from publications that were issued around the end of 1790 (that is, for the year 1791). The figures have often been changed (and in many cases improved) compared to the source works, but the tunes themselves were not composed for use with the fan.
Ten Country Dances, Four Strathspeys, And Four Reels, For The Year 1792, c.1792 [probably late 1791 or early 1792]	Morgan Ratler [also in Campbell's 24 Country Dances for 1790], Money in both Pockets [known from many sources], The Welch Dance [also in Thompson's 24 Country Dances for 1792], Tippoo Saib [possibly from Smart's 24 Country Dances for 1792], Maggie Lawder [possibly from Smart's 24 Country Dances for 1792], Duchess of York's Fancy or the Prussian, Cymro'blee or the Welch Question [also in Thompson's 24 Country Dances for 1792], The Siege of Belgrade [also in Thompson's 24 Country Dances for 1792], Prince of Wales's Fancy [possibly from Skillern's 24 Country Dances for 1792], Lady Catherine Stewert's Fancy [probably from Smart's 24 Country Dances for 1791], Lady Loudon's Strathspey [also in Anderson's c.1789 Selection of the most Approved Highland Strathspeys], Mrs Donaldson's Strathspey [also in Anderson's c.1789 Selection of the most Approved Highland Strathspeys], Mrs Baird of Newbyth's Strathspey, Duchess of Gordon's Strathspey [also in Skillern's 24 Country Dances for 1791], Jenny Sutton's Reel [probably from Campbell's 24 Country Dances for 1791], The Edinburgh Castle Reel [probably from Campbell's 24 Country Dances for 1791], The Gloster Reel [also in Longman & Broderip's 24 Country Dances for 1792], Sir Alexr Don's Reel [probably from Campbell's 24 Country Dances for 1791] Most of the Country Dances on this fan were very well known and were genuinely popular; the Strathspey tunes are curious as they omit any suggested dancing figures. In several cases the direct source of the dance (both the tune and figures) can be identified.
Princess Frederica Fan #1, c.1791	The Royal Flight [also in Cahusac's 12 for 1792], Margate Assembly [also in Preston's 24 for 1792], Shuter's Hornpipe, The Prussian [also in Cahusac's 12 for 1792], Miss Bentick's Fancy [also in Cahusac's 12 for 1792], Pauvre Madelor [also in Preston's 24 for 1792], Duchess of York's Fancy, Money in both Pockets [also in Cahusac's 12 for 1792], Ca Ira [also in Thompson's 24 for 1792], The Russian Tippet [also in Preston's 24 for 1792], Miss Rowly's Fancy [also in Cahusac's 12 for 1792], Champ Mars [also in Thompson's 24 for 1792], The happy Lass [also in Preston's 24 for 1792] Most of the tunes in this collection were issued for the year 1792. Several of the tunes are known from multiple collections. This fan is clearly related to the second Princess Frederica Fan below, it's unclear which was published first; the contents of both fans seem to have been selected from the same source works.
Princess Frederica Fan #2, December 1791 [the date is on the fan]	No Song No Supper [also in Thompson's 24 Country Dances for 1792], Tippoo's Defeat [also in Longman & Broderip's 24 Country Dances for 1792], Duchess of York's Fancy, The Russian War [also in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1792], The New Year's Gift [also in Thompson's 24 Country Dances for 1792], Datchet Bridge [also in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1792], Tippoo Saib [also in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1792], Le Champs de Mars [also in Thompson's 24 Country Dances for 1792], Caen Wood Dance [also in Thompson's 24 Country Dances for 1792], Pauvre Madelor [also in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1792], Cupid's Frolic [also in Longman & Broderip's 24 Country Dances for 1792], The Surrender of Calais [also in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1792], The Masked Rout [also in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1792], The Welch Question [also in Thompson's 24 Country Dances for 1792], Prussian Marriage, The Welch Dance [also in Thompson's 24 Country Dances for 1792] Most of the tunes in this collection were issued for the year 1792, a message on the fan reveals that it was published on the 1st of December 1791. Several of the tunes are known from multiple collections. This fan is clearly related to the first Princess Frederica Fan above, it's unclear which was published first; the contents of both fans seem to have been selected from the same source works.
Ten of the most favorite Country Dances & Five Cotillons, March 1793 [issued by John Cock & Crowder, the date is on the fan]	La Malbro [also in Budd's 12th Book for 1784], New German Spa [also in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1786], Money Musk [also in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1786], What a Beau your Granny was [also in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1789], The Bastille [perhaps in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1790], The White Cockade [perhaps in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1790], Mrs Casey [also in Thompson's 24 Country Dances for 1788], Captn Mackintosh's Fancy [also in Thompson's 24 Country Dances for 1789], The Storace or Gamon's Frolick [also in Thompson's 24 Country Dances for 1789], Astley's Hornpipe [also in Campbell's 24 Country Dances for 1784], Vouz Lordonnez, La Belle Jeannette, La Dame Francaise, L'Amour Fidelle, The Monaco The Country Dances on this fan seem to have been genuinely popular tunes that had been in circulation for much of the preceding decade, most are known from many sources. The five cotillions (listed last) are harder to source; some of the tunes are known from other sources but the origin of the figures remain to be discovered. A message on the fan reveals that it was published on the 1st of March 1793.
The New Caricature Dance Fan, November 1793 [issued by Stokes, Scott & Croskey, the date is on the fan]	O Dear what can the Matter be [also in Cahusac's 24 Country Dances for 1794], Duke of York at Valenciennes, Duchess of Gordon's Reel [also in Longman & Broderip's 24 Country Dances for 1794], The Royal Meeting [probably in Thompson's 24 Country Dances for 1794], Prince Apolphus Fancy [also in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1794], The Primrose Girl [also in Longman & Broderip's 24 Country Dances for 1794], Trip to Margate [also in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1794], The Musicians Flight to America [also in Longman & Broderip's 24 Country Dances for 1794], The Sprigs of Laurel [probably in Thompson's 24 Country Dances for 1794], The Pad, The Duke of York's Fancy [also in Longman & Broderip's 24 Country Dances for 1794], Trip to Dunkirk, Little Farthing Rushlight [also in Longman & Broderip's 24 Country Dances for 1794, with minor differences], Brighton Review [also in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1794] A message on the fan reads Publish'd as the Act directs Novr. 10th 1793; most of the source works from which these dances were collected were issued for the year 1794, they must have been published towards the end of 1793 (as was commonly the case).
New Country Dances for the Year 1794, c.1794	Miss Stewart's Reel, The Hop Ground [also in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1794], The Duke of York's Fancy [also in Longman & Broderip's 24 Country Dances for 1794], The Royal Kentish Bowman [I have seen another exact match of this dance in an unidentified c.1794 collection], Oscar & Malvina [perhaps in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1793], The Prussian Festival, The Princes Fancy, Lady Shaftesbury's Fancy, Lady C. Campbell's Reel [also in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1794], The Sprig of Laurel [also in Longman & Broderip's 24 Country Dances for 1794], The Mountaineers, Miss Sutherland's Reel, The Children in the Wood, Lord McDonald's Fancy [also in Longman & Broderip's 24 Country Dances for 1794], Plymton's Delight [also in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1794] The copy of this fan leaf that I've studied had never been cut, instead a fan mount was painted around it; what survives today is arguably a painting. This fan is probably the fan advertised by S. Ashton in 1794 (The Times, 28th February 1794) but as no manufacturer's mark can be seen the fan's identity is uncertain.
The New Dance Fan for 1797, November 1796 [the date is on the fan]	Miss Stewart Senton's Reel, Miss Douglas Brighton's Jigg, Countess of Sutherland's Reel [also in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1797], Mr Oliphant of Condie's Strathspey [music available in Bowie's 1789 Collection of Strathspey Reels], Honble Charles Bruce's Reel [music available in Bowie's 1789 Collection of Strathspey Reels], Little Peggy's Love, Fontainblau Races [music available in Campbell's 24 Country Dances for 1787] Miss Biggar's Strathspey [music available in Bowie's 1789 Collection of Strathspey Reels], The Irish Volunteers [perhaps in Campbell's 24 Country Dances for 1785] Watson's Reel, Miss Smith's Delight, A Trip to Glasgow, Wedderburn's Reel, Leap Year [perhaps in Thompson's 24 Country Dances for 1793] Galloway House [music available in Campbell's 24 Country Dances for 1787] Davy's Locker [also in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1797] A message on the fan reveals that it was published on the 1st of November 1796. The content is unusual as the tunes, in most cases, aren't known to have been popular, nor were many of them new for 1797. The content appears more random than usual.
A Dance Fan for 1798, c.1798 [issued by S. Ashton & Co]	The Brunswick [music available in Campbell's 1795 10th Book] The Fisher's Hornpipe [music available under many names from many sources, eg Cahusac's 24 Country Dances for 1790 as Blanchard's Hornpipe] Lord Hume's Reel [music available in Hime's Country Dances for 1799] Del Caro's Hornpipe [music available in Longman & Broderip's c.1795 5th Selection] Drops of Brandy [music available in Campbell's c.1796 11th Book] The Chosen Few, or The Rowing Match [music available in Thompson's 24 Country Dances for 1795] The Village Maid [music available in Campbell's c.1786 1st Book] Miss Bentick's Fancy [music available in Campbell's c.1791 6th Book] The Royal Quick Step [music available in Longman & Broderip's 24 Country Dances for 1796] The Isle of Skie [music available in Campbell's c.1792 7th Book] Dusty Miller [music available in Campbell's 1795 10th Book] New German Waltz [music available in Campbell's 1795 10th Book] Lads of Dunce [music available in Thompson's c.1765 2nd Volume of 200] Ask Again [music available in Feuillade's 4 New Minuets, etc. for 1782] Bonny Lads [music available in Goulding's 24 Country Dances for 1797] Jenny's Baubee [music available in Campbell's c.1794 9th Book] Pr. Edward's Fancy [music available in Campbell's c.1793 8th Book] The Merry Wives of Windsor [music available in Smart's c.1798 Collection of New & Favorite Country Dances] Coll Mackay's Reel [also in Campbell's 1795 10th Book] Ally Croaker [music available in Campbell's c.1794 9th Book] St Bride's Bells [music available in Thompson's 24 Country Dances for 1755] Savage Dance [music available in Werner's 1784 17th Book] Duke of Glocester's Reel [music available in Campbell's 1795 10th Book] Light and Airy [music available in Thompson's 24 Country Dances for 1766] Marquis of Huntley's Highland Fling [music available in Jenkin's 1797 New Scotch Music] Lord Macdonald's Reel [music available in Campbell's c.1793 8th Book] Mogg at the Wadd [probably Moll in the Wadd, music for which is available in Campbell's c.1797 12th Book] Cosby's Delight Blanchard's Reel Swaffham Dance Taffy's Fancy Pr. Willm of Glocester's Favourite [also in Campbell's 1795 10th Book] Cumberland Reel [music available in Campbell's c.1791 6th Book] Jack Latten [music available in Skillern's 24 Country Dances for 1791] Coll Macbean's Reel [music available in Longman & Broderip's 24 Country Dances for 1789] The dances named on this fan lack any music, they only have a list of suggested figures. They were mostly well known tunes that professional musicians would have been expected to know. Most of these tunes are known from multiple collections of the period. Indeed, this fan is unusual in that most of the named tunes were very well known; a customer who purchased this fan might have a reasonable expectation of enjoying a successful dance calling experience (the same is much less true for any of the other fans). In most cases I can't identify the specific source of the figures, they may have been choreographed specifically for this fan. It's curious that many of the tunes had been in circulation for several years, presumably they retained popularity, there's no suggestion that they were new for 1798.
The New Egyptian Dance Fan for 1799, c.1798 [probably late 1798 or early 1799]	British Navy New Reel, or Nelson's Fancy thro the Nile [probably also in Norman's 24 Country Dances for 1799], A Trip to Alexandria [also in Thompson's 24 Country Dances for 1799], General Lake's Waltz [also in Skillern's 24 Country Dances for 1799], Royal Volunteers [also in Cahusac's 24 Country Dances for 1799], Croppies Lie down [also in Skillern's 24 Country Dances for 1799], London Beauties [also in Rolfe's 24 Country Dances for 1799], Toulon Fleet, Sweating Doctor, Scotch Fencibles [also in Cahusac's 24 Country Dances for 1799], Gipsey Hat [also in Skillern's 24 Country Dances for 1799], Sir Sidney Smith's Escape, Little Patty [also in Rolfe's 24 Country Dances for 1799], Windsor Camp [also in Skillern's 24 Country Dances for 1799], Turkish Allmand [probably also in Norman's 24 Country Dances for 1799], Target Reel [probably also in Norman's 24 Country Dances for 1799], Village Hop [also in Cahusac's 24 Country Dances for 1799], The Stranger, Buonaparte's Expedition [also in Skillern's 24 Country Dances for 1799], Knight's of Malta [also in Skillern's 24 Country Dances for 1799], Irish Invasion [also in Skillern's 24 Country Dances for 1799] This Fan borrowed heavily from dance collections published in London for the year 1799.
Nelson & Victory 18 new Country Dances for 1799, c.1798 [probably late 1798 or early 1799]	North Sea Fleet [music available in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1799], Margravine's Waltz [music available in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1799], Paddy O'Boderam [music available in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1799], Croppies lie Down [music available in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1799], Greenwich Ball, Pas Russe or the Russian Dance [music available in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1799], Fantocinis[?] Hornpipe, Military Fete [music available in Cahusac's 24 Country Dances for 1799], Sprigs of Laurel for Admiral Nelson [music available in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1799], Ladies down the Middle[?], Blue Beard [music available in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1799], Scotch Milita Reel [music available in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1799], Diddelot Reel [music available in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1799], Straw Bonnet [music available in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1799], Miss Stuarts Reel [music available in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1799], Lord Duncans Reel [music available in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1799], Drops of Whiskey [music available in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1799], Irish Devil [this tune is better known as Go to the Devil and Shake Yourself or Bow Vow, music available in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1799] The image of this fan that I've worked with is unclear, a few of the titles are particularly difficult to read and may have been transcribed incorrectly. What's clear is that the vast bulk of the content derives from the Preston collection of Country Dances for 1799. A message on the fan reads Sold by the principal Haberdashers in London.
Country Dance Fan for 1802, c.1802 [probably late 1801 or early 1802]	The image of this fan that I've worked with is too small to transcribe. It evidently has music and figures for 16 dances on it.
Country Dance Fan for 1803, c.1803 [probably late 1802 or early 1803]	Mr Otto's Whim [also available in Thomson's 24 Country Dances for 1803] A Trip to the Clouds [also available in Fentum's 24 Country Dances for 1803] Ld Guilford's Whim [also available in Gray's 24 Country Dances for 1803] Sr Francis Burdet's Victory [also available in Fentum's 24 Country Dances for 1803] Middlesex Election [also available in Fentum's 24 Country Dances for 1803] Capt Sowdens Fancy [also available in Fentum's 24 Country Dances for 1803] Madame Recaimers Waltz [also available in Gray's 24 Country Dances for 1803] Monsr Garnerins Flight [also available in Gray's 24 Country Dances for 1803] Rattling Morgan [also available in Gray's 24 Country Dances for 1803] Beggar Girl [also available in Thomson's 24 Country Dances for 1803] The Poney Race Picnicks Waltz [also available in Fentum's 24 Country Dances for 1803] Widow and no Widow [also available in Fentum's 24 Country Dances for 1803] The Pilot that Weather'd the Storm [also available in Thomson's 24 Country Dances for 1803] Union new Waltz [also available in Fentum's 24 Country Dances for 1803] A Trip to Preston Guild [also available in Gray's 24 Country Dances for 1803]
The New Roscius Country Dance Fan for 1805, 1804 [advertised in December 1804]	Female Volunteers [another tune of this name was circulating at this date but I've not identified the source of the tune on this fan], Lord Grantham's Whim [also available in Campbell's c.1804 19th Book], The Humours of Dublin [also available in Campbell's 24 Country Dances for 1787], The Young Roscius [several tunes of this name were circulating at this date but I've not identified the source of the tune on this fan], The Arch Duke Charles's Waltz [also available in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1805], Mrs Wybrow's Waltz, The Humours of Cork [also available in Preston's 24 Country Dances for 1805], Round the World for Irish [better known as the Irish tune Round the World for Sport, available in numerous collections including Corri Dusek & Co's c.1800 A Collection of Strathspey Reels], Earl Moira's Nuptials [several tunes themed around Lord Moira were circulating at this date, notably Lord Moira's Welcome to Scotland, but I've not identified this tune], Female Jockey [A different tune named The Female Racer is in the Cahusac's 12 Country Dances for 1805], The Goe, Coll Bryl or One of the Temple Young Roscius was a child actor born in 1791, he was a minor celebrity in 1805. The fan includes a variety of tunes some of which were published for 1805, others are older or of uncertain provenance. This fan was advertised for sale in the Morning Post newspaper for the 13th December 1804.

I've yet to find evidence of Country Dance fans being published after about 1806, interest in them may have waned. The convention by which the top couple (or top lady) would select the tune and figures to be danced hadn't changed but perhaps the willingness of the public to purchase these fans had. We're in the realms of conjecture at this point, but perhaps a sufficient number of ladies had called a dance from her fan, only to be embarrassed by the professional musicians not having heard of the tune before, that their willingness to purchase more such fans had faded.

My impression is that the 24 Country Dances for the Year X publications were falling from favour around the start of the 19th century; music publishers invested ever decreasing effort into their production, many such dances involved a combination of tune and figure that weren't even compatible! If fan producers copied those same tunes then their clients might be unimpressed with the results. The better quality Country Dance publications took the form of numbered sheets issued monthly by music shops rather than cheap annual collections, the "for the year" suffix was no longer especially relevant to dancers. Dancers, perhaps, were more interested in tunes and dances that were genuinely popular in London, rather than the tunes that publishers hoped would become popular in the following season. Newspapers increasingly named the tunes being danced by the aristocracy and travel across the nation was an ever improving experience, ladies who purchased the dance fans would be more aware as time went by that the fans did not in fact reflect the figures as danced as court, etc. that they appeared to claim; this may have hastened the end of both the country dancing fan and the annual collections.

Quadrille Fans of the 1810s

Figure 8. Advertisement for Edward Payne's fan, Morning Post, 24th February 1817. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Image reproduced with kind permission of The British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)

Approximately a decade after the Country Dance fan seems to have fallen from interest a new phenomenon arose: a Fan that assisted the user to dance Quadrille dances. There may be a naive similarity between the Quadrille and Country Dance fans, in reality they're as different from each other as the dances themselves.

The Quadrille was a new dance form that gained popularity in London c.1816; it had evolved out of the Cotillion dances (which had been popular in the later 18th century), the Quadrilles were catapulted to significance in the wake of the Regent's Fete of July 1816. The challenge of the Quadrille is that it was a choreographed dance form, the dancers had to have memorised several sequences of figures prior to the performance. The later 1810s saw a plethora of Quadrille dances being issued, each with its own set of figures; social dancers struggled to keep up. A convention of Calling or Prompting of Quadrille dances would subsequently emerge as the 1810s progressed, that took a while to become conventional however. The Quadrille fans offered a more immediate solution - the figures of the quadrilles were printed on them such that dancers could refer to their fans while dancing at a ball.

The Quadrille fans were successful and at least one design saw multiple editions. The Country Dance fans of the 1790s were issued by fan manufacturers, the Quadrille fans of the 1810s were issued by dancing masters (or at least by authorities on Quadrille dancing). We can speculate that the Country Dance fans may have been used by a leading lady when selecting a dance; the Quadrille fans in contrast could be used by any dancer, it's possible that every dancer in the set would use a copy.

Figure 9. Advertisement for James Paine's fan, The Courier, 31st May 1817. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Image reproduced with kind permission of The British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)

Two different Quadrille fans were advertised in London from approximately the same date. The dancing master Edward Payne (1792-1819) advertised the first from early 1817 (Morning Post, 24th February 1817, see Figure 8): Mr Payne has the honour to inform the Nobility and Gentry that his small Quadrille Fan, containing the Figures of Pantaloon, L'ete, Poule, Trenis, Finale, Pastorale, and five new sets of Figures, may be had at Mr Birchall's Music Shop. Edward Payne was probably the first authority in London to publish the first set of Quadrilles, he had been teaching them prior to the 1816 Carlton House ball that seems to have made them popular; he may even have rehearsed the performers for that event. An advert published for Dovey's Haberdashery (Morning Chronicle, 17th May 1817) indicated that they had the new Quadrille Fan available for sale, they presumably saw a market for Payne's fan.

Payne's fan must have been somewhat successful as a few months later his rival James Paine (1779-1855) (leader of the orchestra at Almack's Assembly Rooms) published his own equivalent fan (The Courier, 31st May 1817, see Figure 9): Mr Paine begs leave to inform the Nobility and Gentry his Quadrille Fan, with the Figures as performed at Almack's, is now ready for delivery. As several Fans with incorrect figures are published, his Fan may be known from any other by having the words Paine, of Almack's Quadrille Fan, on the top, which is the only correct Edition.. Paine's claim that several Fans with incorrect figures existed suggests that further quadrille fans may have been in circulation that are no longer known, Payne's may not have been the only such fan.

Edward Payne responded with a further advertisement for his fan (Morning Post, 4th June 1817, see Figure 10) in which he described himself as the original author of the Quadrilles and added that Mr P. and Assistants continue to attend Families within 20 miles of town, having had the honour of instructing upwards of 1000 persons during the present season.. The figures offered by Paine and Payne were very similar; Payne's tended to be more detailed (he was a dancing master after all), whereas Paine's tended to be a little vague (he was a musician rather than a dancer); but it was Paine's as danced at Almack's arrangements that went on to be the more successful; subsequent editions of Payne's publications would evolve his figures to better match those of Paine. You can read more about how to dance the first set of Quadrilles in our paper on that subject. The irony, which we'll discover when studying Paine's fan below, is that the Quadrilles as danced at Almacks in 1817 seem not to have been consistent with the Paine's own publications - his as danced at Almack's slogan may not have been as straight forwards as it seems.

Figure 10. Second advertisement for Edward Payne's fan, Morning Post, 4th June 1817. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Image reproduced with kind permission of The British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)

The year 1818 saw increased interest in Quadrille Fans. An advertisement published in the Cheltenham Chronicle (3rd September 1818) promised that they could be purchased from Mrs Cooper's Harp and Piano-Forte Repository, they were presumably available elsewhere around the country too. James Paine had published his 10th set of Quadrilles in May 1818 (Morning Chronicle, 19th May 1818), he issued a new edition of his Quadrille Fan to accompany it. Paine continued to advertise his new Quadrilles and his Quadrille Fans into 1819 (eg Morning Post, 6th July 1819); the same year saw J. and D. Slowan, Book and Music Sellers, Newcastle advertise Paine's Quadrille Fan as being available for purchase. The fans were increasingly available around the country. A further Fan containing 12 sets of Quadrilles was published in London in 1820, seemingly without reference to either Paine or Payne, though the contents were derived from Paine's publications.

The dancing master Thomas Wilson advertised his own Quadrille Fan from early 1822 (Morning Post, 14th January 1822) on a completely new design. The earlier fans had listed the figures of the Quadrilles as a memory aid; Wilson's fan included information on how to perform the figures of the Quadrilles. He explained that it contained: Diagrams of all the Quadrille and Cotillion Figures, with lines in each figure to follow (correctly drawn from life in practical performance), alphabetically explained in English, with the technical terms; the whole selected and arranged from the Quadrille and Cotillion Panorama, by T Wilson; calculated expressly to refresh the memory as well of the scientific performer as learner.. Wilson may have been a little late to the market however, by 1822 the interest in new choreographies was beginning to wane; a handful of well know sets of Quadrille Figures were increasingly used as the 1820s progressed. Moreover, a convention of Calling or Prompting of Quadrille figures had arisen in the Assembly Rooms; dance historian Richard Powers has shared an excellent paper investigating the phenomenon. The era of new and varied figures was largely over by the mid 1820s, I know of no further Quadrille fans published thereafter.

Content of the Quadrille Fans

Details	Contents
Edward Payne's Quadrille Fan [1st edition advertised in the Morning Post, 24th February 1817]	1st: Pantalon, L'Ete, La Poule, La Trenis, Finale, La Pastorale 2nd: La Nouvell Allianse, L'Amaside, L'Anonime, La Liberte, La Sephora, La Victoire 3rd: Duc De Berry, La Caroline, La Leone, La Henriette, La Finale (De Lodoiska), La Nouvelle Polonaise 4th: La Belle Allianse, Duc de Wellington, La Waterloo, La Cuirassier, Vive Henri IV, La Nouvelle Pastorale 5th: La Garcon Volage, Les Graces, Les Deux Amis, La Leopold, La Vivacite, La Chasse 6th: La Duchesse De Berry, L'Amondance, Le Rousseau, La Comptesse D'Artois, L'Amusette, La Folie D'Espagne This copy of Payne's fan is described as the Second Edition, it may be a reprint from later in 1817. The content is consistent with what would be expected of the first edition. The contents are a list of the figures in the first six sets of Payne's Quadrilles. Payne describes himself as the original author of the Quadrilles on this fan.
Paine of Almack's Quadrille Fan [advertised in The Courier for the 31st May 1817] Image courtesy of The Fan Museum	1st Quadrille: La Pantalon, L'Ete, La Poule, La Trenis, La Finale 2nd Quadrille: La Pantalon, L'Ete, La Poule, La Pastorale, La Nouvelle Chasse 3rd Quadrille: La Pantalon, L'Ete, La Poule, Le Wellington 4th Quadrille: La Pantalon, L'Ete, La Poule, La Trenis, Les Echos 5th Quadrille: La Pantalon, L'Ete, La Poule, Les Graces 6th Quadrille: La Pantalon, L'Ete, La Poule, La Carrillard, La Conquerante 7th Quadrille: La Pantalon, L'Ete, La Poule, [unclear], Vive Henri Quatre 8th Quadrille: [unclear], L'Ete, La Zephyr, L'Inconstant, La Veritable Chasse[unclear] 9th Quadrille: La Pantalon, L'Ete, La Poule, La Nouvelle Pastorale[unclear], Finale de Lodoiska 10th Quadrille: La Pantalon, L'Ete, La Poule, [unclear] Some of the text on this fan is difficult to read such that a few of the names remain unclear, space is saved by not repeating the figures of the first set each time they are referenced. A curiosity is that it lists the Quadrille Sets as danced at Almacks Assembly Rooms rather than the Quadrille sets as published by Paine himself. The tunes (where named) will be found to have been selected from across Paine's quadrille publications, none of them precisely match the sequences from Paine's own publications. For example, Le Wellington is here named in the 3rd Quadrille though it was published in Paine's 2nd set; Les Echos is given here in the 4th Quadrille, it too was published in Paine's 2nd Set; Les Graces is here named in the 5th Quadrille though it was published in Paine's 3rd Set; and so forth. The implication, at least in May 1817, is that the Almack's faithful were dancing Quadrille sequences of their own, not those proscribed by Paine in his publications. Indeed, one might note the influence of Edward Payne's publications (and presumably tuition) amongst the sequences. Payne died in early 1819 and his legacy was largely forgotten, but at this 1817 date he was still very active. Paine went on to advertise a new quadrille fan in 1818 (Morning Chronicle, 19th May 1818), this new edition may have updated the sets to match his personal scheme.
The New Quadrille Fan for 1817 [Published 1817]	La Gardelle, La Annecie, La Simphonie, Maurice, La Polimrie La Wellington, La Trenise, La Polonaise, La Arabelle, La Cornue, La Talme La Delicate, La Torea, La Sephire, La Matilda, La Nouvelle Polonaise, La Nouvelle Pastorale La Lisette, Finale, Sa Garson Volage, La Belle Alliance, La Liberte La Paulle, Le Leopald, L'Ete, L'Aviable, La Nouvelle Alliance, Vive Henri Quatre L Pastoralle, Les Deux Amis, Le Eucharis, Pantaloon, L'Amasiae We've written more fully about this fan in another paper. The publisher of the fan is unclear, it seems to have been unconnected to any of London's professional dancing masters. The contents are a mixture of Quadrilles printed by Edward Payne c.1816 and Quadrilles printed by Clementi & Co back in 1811. They are not printed in ordered sets, they are rather a collection of individual quadrille dances.
Twelve Setts of The Last and Most Fashionable Quadrills [Published 1820]	1st: La Paysanne, La Flora, Le Coburg, La Felesia, La Pastorale, La Nouvelle Chasse 2nd: La Penelope, La Daphne, La Poule Anglaise, La Theresia, Le Wellington, Les Echos 3rd: La Lisette, La Villageoise, La Matilda, L'Eugene, L'Heureuse Fantasie, Les Graces 4th: La Magdonal, La Nouvelle Eté, La Non Chalant, La Nouvelle Pastorale, La Veritable Chasse 5th: L'Elegante, La Pettite Montignard, La Zephyr, L'Inconstant, La Favorite 6th: La Nouvelle Favorite, La Fauvette, L'Amulette, La Charmeuse, La Chasseuse 7th: La Pauline, La Parmesane, La Bassana, La Carrillard de Brantignez, La Conquerante 8th: La D'Artoise, La Serant, La Duchesse D'Angouleme, La Berri, Henri Quatre 9th: La Diane, L'Eucharis, L'Egerie, La Calypso, La Carinthia .. [The remaining three sets are on the reverse of the fan] This fan doesn't appear to have been issued by Paine though it might as well have been, the contents are the first 12 of his quadrille sets, exactly as published. Nine sets appear on the front and three more sets to the rear. A message at the top reads Published 1820, to be had at no 503 Bazaar, Soho Square. Paine himself published through Falkener's Music Warehouse so this fan seems to have been an unlicensed copy of his material. The fact that it exists at all is evidence that Paine's quadrille sets were becoming the standard arrangements, even if the Almack's faithful danced to slightly different arrangements back in 1817.
Thomas Wilson's Quadrille Fan [advertised in the Morning Post for the 14th January 1822]	Wilson's quadrille fan is different to the other examples that we've seen; it includes material derived from his The Quadrille and Cotillion Panorama. The fan leaf is circular rather than semi-circular, this might make it less practical for use, particularly as the text flows vertically; if mounted the text would be a challenge to read. Quadrilles were choreographed dances, the performers will have had to learn the figures in advance of the dance. It's therefore unclear how Wilson's fan would be used; it seems improbable that anyone would study the abstract quadrille figures in isolation, especially from a fan. Perhaps this fan was a novelty rather than something seriously intended to be used in the ballroom.

Conclusion

We've investigated two different varieties of dance fan in this paper. The Country Dance fans seem to have been novelties, possibly intended to assist a leading lady to Call a successful country dance; the Quadrille fans aimed to help any dancer remember the choreographed routines of the most popular quadrille dances. The Country Dance fans proliferated in the 1790s and early 1800s, the Quadrille fans in the late 1810s; both were likely to be relatively affordable and were aimed at ordinary dancers. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of copies of these fans will presumably have been produced, yet surviving examples are exceptionally rare today; in some cases only a single copy is known - presumably the owners of these fans used them and over time they wore out.

We've presented all of the examples of these fans that we know of; if you have access to further such fans, or have any other information to share, then do please Contact Us as we'd love to know more.