Antique Fan Museum opening July 23 near Indianapolis

[Steve Stephens]

The Antique Fan Club of America is having its annual "Fanfair" convention near Indianapolis this July 22-25th in Indianapolis. Part of the festivities is the opening of our club's relocated fan museum from the Vornado fan factory outside of Wichita to the Fanamation fan factory in Zionsville, IN. It looks like anyone is invited to the opening so, if you think you might like old fans and are in the area, please come take a look.

If you can't make it please note the "regular museum hours" on the poster any Mon. - Sat. 10-4. Tom Frampton, owner of Fanimation and an active member of the AFCA is a really nice guy and you might get him away from his duties long enough to show you some great fans.

The club's museum has something like 300 exceptional and rare desk and ceiling fans (give or take some) dating from the 1890s up through some fairly modern ones. Additionally, Fanamation has quite a collection of their own in their offices which may be open for viewing.

And, if you are in the area during the afternoon of July 22 through Saturday July 25, please come by and visit our "Bourse" (trading room) of hundreds, maybe thousands, of fans for sale, display, auction, etc. You can even join the AFCA and attend the convention on the spot I believe though lodging there may be full. The event is being held at the Radisson Hotel Indianapolis Airport, 2500S. High School Rd. Indianapolis, IN.

[Curt Reed]

I love that picture of junior with the cans on adjusting the radio set while the fans are keeping the room cool. Someone should place a battery set similiar to the one pictured there also and that would make for a very impressive show of old technologies.
Curt
_________________
Curt, N7AH
(Connoisseur of the cold 807) CW forever!

[Ron in Radio Heaven]

I really like antique fans, I have about 20 of
them.
Are you going to have to be a member of the
club before you can visit the museum?
Like you have to be view the club web page?

This excluding none members makes a bad
impression, just ask the AWA.
_________________
73, Ron w4ron


"Preservation, NOT restoration"
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http://charlottearc2010.homestead.com/index.html

[Steve Stephens]

Ron, to confirm, I phoned our club president and, although he is not the Fanfair chair this year, he said that it's customary to have Fanfair open to visitors. At least for visiting the trading room but not for bidding on the auction fans nor attending the banquet. The Fan Museum will be open during the hours on the poster and to the public as well as AFCA member. The trading room at the Fanfair host hotel at the Indy airport is most of Fanfair (and open most of the day and night) along with a number of technical and similar seminars. I don't see why one couldn't go to them but can't promise that they would be open also to guests.

http://www.fancollectors.org/ is our club website. Other than some parts of the website like the larger photos of the thumbnails in the fan gallery and a few other pages, most of the site is open to guests. Of course you have to register to post but that's free and easy to do.

I used to belong to a cast iron cookware club (the one with the very active website). At our convention about 5 years ago I tried to get a visiting friend into the trading room, even offering to stay by his side. No way would they allow that. Be assured that the fan club is a friendly bunch and will welcome visitors to come see what we are all about.

What's restriced to members on the website is there for those who support the club as is the bi-monthly club newsletter. As you know it takes time and money to maintain and build a website. Our thinking, as with many organizations, is to have parts of the website for those who support the club by being a member. The AFCA is really very lenient and friendly. If you are able to make the opening of the museum I think you might find a new hobby to add to your radios. If not, please do try to visit the museum during its open hours Mon. - Sat. at the Fanimation factory office. It's going to be very impressive from the preliminary photos I have seen and having seen the old location of the museum.