SYDNEY'S BEAUTIFUL FANS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 187, 25 August 1937, Page 14

SYDNEY'S BEAUTIFUL FANS

i he three valuable fans at top left are from the collcction of Miss Agncs Williamson. That at the top is an^example, of the lost art of introducing gold into the sticks and malerial- The second is a Barlolozzi, shown by ils owner in Paris and also , at ihe loan exhibition of antiqucs in Sydncy. The ihird . is of Spanish design and t ihe sticks are of exquisitcly carved ivory. Madame. C. J. Pao (top right) , wife of the Consul-General for China, pholographed with her wonderful Chinese^ fan. On one side is gold lettering and on the other (picture inset) a painting of the Lang Ting mountaift. Holding a fan (top

centre) , on which chicken skin forms the basis for th design is Mrs. T. H. Kelly, of Darling Point, who has « fine collcction. Miss Mari.e O'Brien (lower left), photo' graphcd with ' a fan which shows Chincse figures clad ir supcrimposed matcrials. The fan is kept in a special case ir thc wall at her home in Pott's Point and previously bclongcC to her molher, ' the latc • Mrs. Edouard Goil. Exquisitel) carved is this ivory fan (lower ceritre) of Chinese workmanj ship, which with the one next to it of lace and mother o; pcarl, was in the trousseau of .the late -Mrs. Selina Cheeke and is how owned;by Mr, Oswald Cheeke.

She told me that her time and practically her life helong to "the job." Wherever the "star" is, there must be her secretary, within hail. She must know the world well and be able to make the easiest and best travelling arrangements. She has to recognise who's who in society, deal with the Press, answer the telephone, and attend patiently and courteously to all inquiries. During the hour , we spent together 1 had practical demonstrations. Every five minutes the +elephone hnd to be an-

awered, but before she rang off .Ihe secretary's polite remark was: "Thank you very much for ringing up." The most exacting part of the work is dealing with the mail, of which threefourths at least consists in beggirig letters that arrive by every post, and every letter has to be answered. The morning mail that day had, amongst others, contained requests for gifts of a grand piano and a motor-car. The reply to such demands is a polite intimation that there is no money set aside for gifts to Stran-

ge;*s of such .things as pianos and moiorcars. With food and clothing it is different. The secretary is empowered tc provide a simple meal for f olk who are honestly hungry. Where possible, something to wear is given to the reallj needy, out-of-work, professional man oi woman, ahd the secretary has learned tc recognise a genuinely deserving case or sight. The star "figures out" that, ii she is taking large sums of money from her audience she should give somethini in retum to people who are down and out