Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
01.C.03 |
Object Name |
Spoon |
Title |
Spoon with Portrait of Benjamin Franklin |
Artist |
Unknown |
Description |
Souvenir spoon with portrait of Franklin at top. Eagle below Franklin, followed by house representing his birthplace, crest with 13 stars and stripes, "1760 1790" along stem, and Philadelphia City Hall in bowl. On rear is image of Liberty Bell, printing press, and Independence Hall. No maker's mark. |
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 along with 01.C.02 in 1956, the 250th anniversary of Benjamin Franklin's birth. |
Material |
Sterling silver |
Dimensions |
L-6 inches |
Credit line |
American Philosophical Society |
Search Terms |
Philadelphia Founding Father commemorative souvenir |