THE BROOKING NATIONAL ARCHITECTURAL MUSEUM
Registered Charity Number 1155363
Fanlight from a terraced house (right, top) in Maple Street London, built in 1777.
Innovation began in upper-class dwellings, and this good example of mid-18th century
fanlight design in the smaller house shows the movement down the social scale. Bats-wing
fanlight (right, centre) from a circa 1822 terraced house in North Gower Street,
London, recovered in September 1978 during demolition. A good example of Regency
fanlight design, it was constructed of lead and tinned iron glazing bars with a cast
lead motif at the crown.
Timber fanlight (right, bottom) with gesso decoration – a West Country variety circa
1810-25.
Fight for light (right) fanlight lantern from 13, Lyndhurst Gardens, Belsize Park,
London, built in 1887 by William Willett, the lifelong campaigner for British Summer
Time. A good example of his work, it is constructed of zinc sections following an
1830’s-40’s design with leaded light panels – very much a characteristic feature
of Willett’s work. Originally lit by gas, it has access for lighting through a small
hinged door at the rear. Acquired in 1982.
The development of the door fanlight is explained with some exquisite examples dating
from the late 17th century to the 1930’s.
In the days when artificial light was at a premium, they were developed to bring
as much natural light into the entrance hall as possible. The earliest forms consisted
of leaded lights set above the front door, and development was rapid. A wide range
of materials was used in construction, particularly in the second half of the 18th
century, ranging from wood to wrought iron, from lead to zinc, to bronze or cast
iron.
The earliest true fanlight designs appeared around the 1720’s. Design reached its
zenith in the second half of the 18th century, when various patent methods were introduced,
making it possible to produce elaborate designs in detail.
There are around 150 fanlights in The Collection. Here is a small selection.
Hidden charm detail of circa 1770’s-80’s fanlight (right) with fine wrought iron
glazing bars, originally sporting lead decorative motifs. The stripped area shows
how much detail can be concealed beneath accumulated layers of paint.
Soft option (below) detail of 1840’s carved softwood fanlight from Windsor Castle.
The wood was scumbled – a grained finish applied to resemble oak. This example was
glazed by inserting sheets of glass between two separate carved frames, themselves
set into an overall frame, part of the doorcase.
Cast iron fanlight in Decorated Gothic style (left) from St Pancras Chambers, St
Pancras Station, London, dating from 1873.
Spectacular Adam style fanlight (above) from the main entrance to Shalford Park,
Guildford, added to an earlier house c. 1797.