A Modern Interpretation Of The Art Of Fan Making And Its Realistic Contribution To Climate Change And The Energy Transistion 2024 | Z/Yen Group Limited | 17 April 2024 | Webinar

The original ‘trades’ of many older London livery companies are today less important or even relevant in today’s society than they were in the past, but that does not mean they can’t contribute today with many adopting modern equivalents. The Worshipful Company of Fan Makers, which is only No 76 in the order of precedence (often called the youngest of the old livery companies being the last to received Royal Charter in 1709 by Queen Ann), is no exception where jet engines and air conditioning which rely on big fans.

Up until the mid to late 1800’s, ladies' fans were still a key part of a lady’s daily accessories where Fan Making had become established in the city after the exodus of the Huguenots from Paris due to the religious wars in France over the previous century.

It could be argued that with climate change and a demand for increasingly sustainable methods of cooling, Fans should again be a part of everyone’s daily accessories like ones credit cards, phone and keys, but a new, equally important and more modern adoption of fan making is surely the increasing use of wind turbines (which could be classed as big reverse fans!) being used to generate electricity and reduce emissions from fossil fuels as part of the energy transition.

The challenge is that they may not be the golden ticket to clean energy as they will always rely upon the weather and cannot always be depended upon for the secure energy we all expect when its not windy, are currently reliant on complex hydrocarbon materials for their construction, are difficult to re-cycle, and are not as profitable as other sources of energy to the generating companies.

2024 Speaker

Mike Lakin
Free Warden, Worshipful Company of Fan Makers