RSS Feeds: The History of Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans appeared around the 1860s and were powered by water turbines driving a series of belts. These fans were popular in businesses such as restaurants and stores. There are still some of these antiques in use in the southern United States!
The electric motor came along in 1882, courtesy of a Mr. John Fany who also devised the electric motor in the Singer sewing machine. He began the Fany Electric Fan Co. and began manufacturing the electric ceiling fan with two blades. The race was on for the lead in this market with the immediate popularity of the fan. Mr. Fany proved to be a competitive soul and improved the ceiling fan with a light kit that could be added to the fan to replace any light fixture that was eliminated.
World War I saw the increase from two blades to four blades but then the Great Depression ended the popularity of the ceiling fan in the United States. Until the 1950s, the ceiling fan was extinct. East Asian merchants reintroduced Americans to the ceiling fan in the 1960s. Then with the energy crisis of the 1970s, the fans rose to the top again. American manufacturers jumped on the bandwagon, bringing into existence the Casablanca Fan Co., Hunter Fan Co., Emerson Electric and Laski. Imported ceiling fans gave American manufacturers ample competition due to the low cost of their products.
The 1980s saw the affordability of home air conditioners affect the ceiling fan market once again. To compete, fan manufacturers reduced their time and money in research and development and ceiling fans became less expensive with the use of cheaper materials and more basic options. Beginning in the 2000s, ceiling fans started to become decorative as much as functional in the American lifestyle. With the advent of more use of outdoor living spaces, patios, decks and verandas saw the use of ceiling fans, patio lights, and other electrical conveniences.
New companies such as Animation, Minka and The Modern Fan Co. have made ceiling fans with durability, efficiency, high tech options and wonderful designs. Truly you can find ceiling fans with blades of various lengths, blades made of many materials, theme fans with wild colors and differently shaped blades and even ceiling fans that resemble the old original but with all the modern luxuries. You can also buy complete decorating sets for your outdoor space, which include the patio fan, patio umbrella lights, and even furniture.
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