Den

Bob Tucker working on Le Zombie in his fan den in the mid-1950s. Photo by Bob Madle.

The Fancyclopedia articles below still pretty much describe typical fannish housekeeping, except now most fans are older and have whole houses full of Fannish Splendor.

Fans tend not to be practitioners of Marie Kondo-style minimalism. Most fen prefer a style of home decoration and housekeeping that includes books, fanzines and magazines everywhere, generally stacked on the floor in front of the bookshelves, and sometimes so filling rooms that only narrow paths through them still exist. Cats and empty pizza boxes are optional. Other collections may figure, too.

• “The Fan Cave, c1940s by First Fandom Experience.

See also: Kipple, Mathom, Collecting, Art Rapp's House, Slan Shack.

From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959

Long before Slanshacks and clubrooms were thought of, individuals had their own bits of territory dedicated to fandom. The hearthstone around which all is polarized is the typer. Walls are covered with originals and, among the worldly-minded, pinups. Files of proz, folders of fmz, and cases of books pretty well fill the room, but in addition to those are -correspondence files, stacks of unread proz and sometimes fanzines; and a duplicator has to be fitted in here somewhere. To this add miscellanea like scrapbooks, photo albums, camera and developing equipment, radio, record player and records -- and don't forget that the fan has to keep his wardrobe somewhere and sleep in the room too. The most amazing den Speer had ever seen was Lester del Rey's in Washington, where you would actually and literally dig down two decimeters in the litter on the floor and come up with an empty milk bottle and half a loaf of bread. Of course, not all fans can boast such bohemianism; some keep quite genteel, bourgeois-looking rooms.

From Fancyclopedia 1, ca. 1944

Long before science fiction house or clubrooms were thot of, individual fen had their own bits of territory dedicated to fandom. The walls are covered with Vargas and originals from auctions. Hearthstone around which the furniture is polarized is the tripewriter. Files of the pros going back to the '20s and cases of books and folders of fanzines pretty well fill the room, but in addition to these are the correspondence files, "awaiting answers" box, "unread" box of pros and maybe hams; and the tripewriter [sic] and duplicator must be put somewhere. Add such optional miscellanea as scrapbooks, foto albums, camera and developing equipment, and radio-recordplayer and records, and then consider that the fan has to keep his wardrobe somewhere and sleep in the room too. The most amazing den this writer has ever seen was Lester del Rey's in Washington, where you would actually and literally dig down two decimeters in the litter on the floor and come up with an empty milk bottle and half a loaf of bread. Of course, not all fans can boast such Bohemianism; some keep quite genteel, bourgeois-looking rooms.

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