Two Church Fans

Advertisement for funeral home, ca. 1950's.

In the days before air conditioned churches, funeral homes regularly produced fans for churches. An American phenomenon, it was an effective way to advertise as well as to help cool parishioners. While in London in 1967, curator Carroll Greene was a guest in the home of Dr. Rosy Pool, Folklorist and author, who delighted her guests by telling them about the quaint American custom of using these fans in Churches. Dr Pool had been the recipient of a Fulbright to study American customs.