A Day in the Life: Sophie Long, General Manager, The Fan Museum

In these warm days of May, our special guest to the Journal this month seems highly fitting!

Sophie Long is the General Manager of The Fan Museum in Greenwich, London and has been working at the Museum in one capacity or another for almost five years.    She started out as a museum volunteer after completing her MA in English and Comparative Literature and has learned much in each of her roles since.

 

The Fan Museum was established in 1991, and remains the world’s only accredited museum solely dedicated to the history and craftsmanship of the hand-held fan.  The Founder and Director of the Museum is Mrs Hélène Alexander who personally assembled one of the most comprehensive fan collections in the world, and it is this collection upon which The Fan Museum was founded.

Mrs Alexander holds a degree in History of Art from London University and has been associated with the Victoria and Albert Museum where she worked for 13 years as a volunteer prior to establishing The Fan Museum in partnership with her husband, Mr A V Alexander, CBE.    She has practical experience of work in the theatre, has taught history of art, lectured extensively and written numerous articles and books on the subject of fans. She has mounted multiple exhibitions of fans in many parts of the country and has lent from her collection to a number of prestigious exhibitions within the UK and abroad.

 

Sophie, how does a good day begin: 

A good day at The Fan Museum begins quietly…If I can come into the Museum and take my time going through email correspondence before we open our doors to visitors at 11:00am, then it should set the pace for the rest of the day. A nice day outside also helps!

What is the first thing you do when you start work: 

The first thing I do when I start work is check my email and check other Fan Museum inboxes. I usually then make a list of tasks and priorities for the day (emails and beyond!) and set about the first thing on the list.

What are you currently working on:

We recently opened our exhibition ‘Monarchy: An Exhibition of Royal Fans’. It has been open to the public since Saturday 9^th May 2026 but was opened on site for special guests by our Patron Queen Camilla the week previous! Much work has been put into this exhibition, from the exhibition install itself, to the research into and writing of the catalogue. Necessary changes to the exhibition gallery to foster the correct lighting conditions for the delicate fans were also made.  We are indebted to Mary Kitson, who led curation on this exhibition, and I can’t thank the whole Museum team and associates involved enough.

What does your job continue to teach you: 

My job at the Museum continues to teach me patience, the ability to multi-task (especially in such a small museum!) and many skills that I otherwise would not have expected to gain experience of. I have also, obviously, learned a great deal about Fans in a way that I never expected – the job has unlocked an entire niche world that I don’t think I would have ever otherwise encountered.

Influential piece/s of art and why do they mean so much to you: 

Personally speaking, the ground shook beneath me when I saw Titian’s Bacchus and Ariadne for the very first time at the National Gallery, heightened by my then studies on Renaissance Italy. The vibrancy of his pigments and the size of the painting bowled me over. I’m also a big fan of David Hockney’s A Bigger Splash – I love the way it captures the still heat of a good holiday.

Most productive part of your day: 

The most productive part of my day is probably when I respond to multiple emails, but that’s closely followed by moments in the day where the Museum gift shop might need re-stocking or re-arranging!

 

Essential skills or training for your role:

I have found that customer service skills have been of prime importance to the role. No matter your knowledge or experience, the ability to speak and work with all who come through the door at The Fan Museum, and to maintain a good rapport across the board is essential. Knowing how to use the till software also helps…!

How do you decompress once you finish work: 

Though rewarding, no one prepares you for how challenging working in a small Museum (or any small workplace, for that matter) can be. Decompressing is key after a very full day, and I often enjoy going to the cinema after work, to sit back and relax and watch something in the dark. I also enjoy the walk back home (weather permitting), and to be outside.

 

Looking back, what remains your most rewarding professional experience: 

I have had the opportunity to do and be involved in several things that I’ve enjoyed thus far at the Museum, so I’m not sure that I can choose just one experience, but I have gained significantly from being involved in exhibition prep and having been shown these FAN-tastic and historical objects up close. The way that the job has allowed me to develop in graphic design has also been great – I’ve been involved and made a few exhibition posters and designed our latest exhibition catalogue. The permission to be creative and try something new has certainly felt rewarding.

 

If you could take any piece of artwork home with you for a weekend, what would it be: 

If I had a wall big enough it would have to be the aforementioned Bacchus and Ariadne, but I wouldn’t want it for just the weekend! I would also love to admire Pablo Picasso’s La Lecture (2^nd Jan 1932) – I love the soft purples and the subject’s wide-open eyes… I would like to spend the weekend reading alongside her!

******************

 

Find out more about the beautiful The Fan Museum and their exhibitions and collections on their website.

.