Paris Fan Museum Might Disappear Without Help
2021-01-25
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1France's well-known fan-making museum could soon disappear.
2The Musee de l'Eventail may soon be the cultural world's latest coronavirus victim.
3The museum is in Paris.
4It has until January 23 to pay over $142,000.
5The organization could not make enough money while shut down because of coronavirus restrictions.
6It has been unable to pay the money necessary for the use of its building.
7If the museum closes, the knowledge of its workshop will be lost.
8The workshop teaches people how to make and repair hand-held fans.
9Anne Hoguet, age 74, is the museum's director.
10She recently spoke to the Associated Press (AP), describing the news as a "tragedy."
11A tragedy is a very bad event that causes great sadness.
12Hoguet said, "I can't believe Parisians will let a part of their heritage die.
13I have a problem, because I always believed there would be a miracle."
14Hoguet said she was "exhausted," or very tired, by the fight for survival that has hit smaller museums.
15"Like all small museums, we had troubles before..." she said, but the health crisis has been a disaster.
16Hoguet said her museum was forced to close for most of 2020 because of government restrictions.
17On top of that, money coming from the workshop's fan repairs also disappeared because of reduced spending during the pandemic.
18Even when the museum opened for a short time in September, Hoguet had trouble getting the same numbers of visitors as before.
19"Because people were preoccupied with the virus, culture and heritage got forgotten - and dangerously," she said.
20Hoguet is the fourth generation in charge of what is the last original fan-making workshop in Paris.
21Hoguet's father bought the museum's collection of fans in 1960.
22She has trained five young fan-makers, whom she hopes will continue the tradition.
23Fan making, traditionally with wooden sticks and painted paper, has been considered important in many cultures.
24But in France, its golden age was more than 200 years ago.
25At the time, women used fans as a kind of communication.
26The pictures painted on the fans would often show the current events of the world.
27To this day, fans remain part of France's clothing culture.
28Fans often appear in collections by design companies Chanel, Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier.
29Hoguet works alone and does not have financing tools to raise money except for email.
30She said French officials have failed to help her and she now has trouble sleeping.
31The French Culture Ministry and Paris City Hall are the agencies she has been in touch with, but those efforts, she said, made no difference.
32Paris City Hall did not immediately answer when contacted by the AP.
33Hoguet suggested that the problem with very special knowledge "is that it can very quickly die," meaning it can disappear forever.
34I'm John Russell.
1France's well-known fan-making museum could soon disappear. The Musee de l'Eventail may soon be the cultural world's latest coronavirus victim. 2The museum is in Paris. It has until January 23 to pay over $142,000. The organization could not make enough money while shut down because of coronavirus restrictions. It has been unable to pay the money necessary for the use of its building. 3If the museum closes, the knowledge of its workshop will be lost. The workshop teaches people how to make and repair hand-held fans. 4Anne Hoguet, age 74, is the museum's director. She recently spoke to the Associated Press (AP), describing the news as a "tragedy." A tragedy is a very bad event that causes great sadness. 5Hoguet said, "I can't believe Parisians will let a part of their heritage die. I have a problem, because I always believed there would be a miracle." 6Hoguet said she was "exhausted," or very tired, by the fight for survival that has hit smaller museums. 7"Like all small museums, we had troubles before..." she said, but the health crisis has been a disaster. Hoguet said her museum was forced to close for most of 2020 because of government restrictions. 8On top of that, money coming from the workshop's fan repairs also disappeared because of reduced spending during the pandemic. Even when the museum opened for a short time in September, Hoguet had trouble getting the same numbers of visitors as before. 9"Because people were preoccupied with the virus, culture and heritage got forgotten - and dangerously," she said. 10Hoguet is the fourth generation in charge of what is the last original fan-making workshop in Paris. Hoguet's father bought the museum's collection of fans in 1960. 11She has trained five young fan-makers, whom she hopes will continue the tradition. Fan making, traditionally with wooden sticks and painted paper, has been considered important in many cultures. But in France, its golden age was more than 200 years ago. 12At the time, women used fans as a kind of communication. The pictures painted on the fans would often show the current events of the world. To this day, fans remain part of France's clothing culture. Fans often appear in collections by design companies Chanel, Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier. 13Hoguet works alone and does not have financing tools to raise money except for email. She said French officials have failed to help her and she now has trouble sleeping. 14The French Culture Ministry and Paris City Hall are the agencies she has been in touch with, but those efforts, she said, made no difference. Paris City Hall did not immediately answer when contacted by the AP. 15Hoguet suggested that the problem with very special knowledge "is that it can very quickly die," meaning it can disappear forever. 16I'm John Russell. 17Thomas Adamson and Michel Euler reported this story for the Associated Press. John Reynolds adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ 18Words in This Story 19museum - n. a building in which interesting and valuable things (such as paintings and sculptures or scientific or historical objects) are collected and shown to the public 20heritage - n. the traditions, achievements, beliefs, etc., that are part of the history of a group or nation - usually singular 21miracle - n. a very amazing or unusual event, thing, or achievement 22preoccupy - v. to be thought about or worried about by (someone) very often or constantly 23golden age - n. a time of great happiness, success; a time of highest success