The Holburne Museum secures eighteenth-century fan with a rare view of Georgian Bath
We are delighted to announce our acquisition of a topographical souvenir fan painted in watercolour, attributed to Thomas Loggan about 1750, with a rare view of Harrison’s Walk, now Parade Gardens, in Bath.
Thomas Loggan (or Loggon), who also ran a ladies’ teahouse and china shop, at the sign of “The Little Fanmaker”, is shown on the fan with a group of ladies and gentleman surrounding Richard ‘Beau’ Nash, Master of Ceremonies and infamous dandy, who made Bath one of the most fashionable spa towns in the country. The fan is decorated with etched and coloured chinoiserie flowers and grapevines.
Chris Stephens, the Holburne’s Director said, ‘We are thrilled to have added this beautiful example to our collection and we are grateful for the support of the donors who made this acquisition possible. It is typical of the sort of luxury goods sold in Bath’s Toy or Souvenir shops, an important theme of our Georgian Bath display at the Museum. We look forward to the fan going on show in 2018.’
The fan depicts a rare view of Bath’s first assembly house, called the Lower Assembly Hall. Erected in 1708, it was also known as ‘Harrison’s Rooms’ after its architect Thomas Harrison, and featured an open riverside walk along the Avon, only accessible by subscription and beautifully lined with sycamore trees. The building was almost destroyed by fire in 1820, rebuilt to house the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, and finally demolished in 1933 from the site now known as Bog Island.