Just like a Japanese hand fan, the footbridge unfolds in pieces around a stationary hinge, allowing boat traffic to pass through London’s Grand Union Canal.

Japan’s summer hand fans get a pandemic twist in mask mashup By TAKASHI NAKAJIMA/ Senior Staff Writer May 1, 2021 at 08:00 JST ...

The collapsible folding hand fan first appeared in Japan circa 637 CE. While the fan (or leaf ) was later made of paper, older hand fans were crafted from animal skins.

The exhibit features 26 items that were culled from the Palmer Museum’s collection of 70 hand and folding fans and chosen either for their beauty or for their novelty.

The bridge’s three metre wide deck is constructed from five cantilevered steel beams which are raised using hydraulic jacks in an action that replicates a traditional Japanese hand fan. The first beam ...