Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
01.C.02 |
Object Name |
Spoon |
Title |
Spoon with Portrait of Benjamin Franklin |
Artist |
Gorham |
Date |
late 19th c. |
Description |
Souvenir spoon with portrait of Franklin on handle, kite with key and lightning below, and Franklin at the court of France in bowl. Handle of spoon: "1706 B. Franklin 1790." Marked "Bailey Banks & Biddle" on back, next to lion, anchor, and "G" symbol. |
Label |
In the 1890s, spoons commemorating travels,significant historical figures, and events became prized collectibles in America. The craze began with two spoons, one depicting George Washington and the other memorializing the Salem witch trials. The popularity of souvenirs from the Columbian Exposition in Chicago (1893) then led to a robust souvenir spoon industry that waned in the middle of the 20th century. The APS purchased this spoon, made by American silver manufacturer Gorham and sold by jeweler Bailey Banks & Biddle, along with 01.C.03 in 1956, the 250th anniversary of Benjamin Franklin's birth. |
Material |
Sterling silver |
Dimensions |
L-6 inches |
Credit line |
American Philosophical Society |
Search Terms |
19th Century nineteenth century Founding Father commemorative souvenir |