Fixed Fans have been used for millennia, principally for cooling but also for religious and ceremonial purposes. The earliest known fixed fan was found in the tomb of Tutankhamun and dates to around 1323 BCE. In Europe, the folding fan was preferred and later developed into a ubiquitous accessory for the fashionable elite. They were also used as a conduit for communication through their handling and the subject matter painted upon their storied folds. Fans were produced to commemorate births, marriages and deaths and were decorated with scenes of love, war and science. But most of all, fans were a tangible marker of taste, status and wealth. This lecture explores the rise of the folding fan in Europe and celebrates the artistry and craftsmanship of fan making from antiquity to the 21st century.