There is nothing like the gentle hum of an oscillating fan on a warm day as it softly cools the room.

In Egyptian times this luxury had not been discovered yet.

Fans back then were probably large ostrich feathers tethered to a large, straight palm branch. They were waved back and forth to create a breeze. If you were kings or queens, you would have fan bearers whose only job was to stand off to the side and wave the feathers back and forth to create a cool breeze for the royalty. This was a very prestigious job to hold.

It is stated that King Tutankhamen, or King Tut, ruled during the 18th dynasty and was buried with eight mounted fans of varying sizes. I guess maybe that is why comedian Steve Martin would always refer to King Tut as a “very cool guy” on the “Saturday Night Live” show back in the day.

The first electric fan was invented in 1886. It was a small brass desk fan with two blades. It was dangerous as there was no cage surrounding the blades. They were then modified for use in large factories, restaurants, offices and hotels. It wasn’t until 1910 that the first electric fan was sold for household use. As time went on, fans became lighter in weight and more quiet sounding. In the 1950s, air conditioning became available and fans lost their popularity. In the 1970s with energy costs and the oil crisis, fans made a comeback. Some people today will prefer an electric fan due to their energy efficiency, longer life span, lower cost and portability.

Fans are popular with many people to sleep by. The gentle hum helps them get to sleep and stay asleep. The white noise creates a buffer sound between silence and outside noise. Each of our kids had to have a fan running in their rooms to sleep with. I would not be surprised if they still do to this day.

The first fan I can remember was a small General Electric fan. It was teal in color and had just three blades. It stood only 20 inches high, and the blades were 6 inches long. The cage on the fan had only three small wires crisscrossing the blades. Very unsafe by today’s standards. It did not have any speeds, you just plugged it in to the wall and it started right up.

I always remember the sound of that fan, like a 747 plane getting ready for takeoff. Back then I loved that fan and remember sitting in front of it on many long, hot summer afternoons.

Today look through any home decorating magazines and you will find vintage fans have made a comeback. Not for use but for decorating or accent pieces throughout the home. Pinterest will give you many style inspirations and bring some nostalgia from the past to come alive again.

Recently my husband and I attended an estate auction. There, lo and behold, was an old General Electric fan. It was teal in color. Some of the cage wires were slightly bent but no rust could be found. It was almost the same one I remembered from long ago. I got so excited and even knew right where I was going to set it when I got it home. I couldn’t wait till the fan went up for auction later that day.

As soon as the bidding started, I knew I was in trouble. There were six other people interested in my little fan. I will sadly tell you that little fan did not come home with me. It sold for $675.

Maybe it’s a desk fan, an oscillating tower fan, a ceiling fan, window or box fan or a small battery handheld personal fan. No matter your fan of choice it will most definitely help you “keep your cool” this summer.