When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
pair of original 1883 Cartes de Visite (CDV) photographic cards documenting a historic 17th-century American family heirloom: The Daniel Leeds Silver Spoon.
Instead of traditional portraits, these custom-ordered historical photos showcase the front of an early colonial "fiddleback" style silver spoon, while the backs feature extensive, handwritten genealogical provenance tracking the item back to the early settlers of New Jersey.
Key Historical Details & Transcription
* Date of Photos:November 16, 1883 (Handwritten by the family historian as 11.16.83).
* People Mentioned:
* Thomas Leeds: The original family pioneer who settled in Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, NJ.
* Daniel Leeds (1651–1720): Famous colonial Burlington County figure, almanac maker, author, Queen's Councilor, and Surveyor General of West Jersey. He left these silver spoons directly to his sons in his will.
* Felix Leeds (1687–1744): Son of Daniel who inherited the spoon.
* Rebecca Cheeseman: The descendant from Burlington, NJ, who held the heirloom until selling it to her cousin for $50.
* B. Frank Leeds (Benjamin Franklin Leeds): The family historian who traveled from Santa Cruz, California, to purchase the spoon and commissioned these CDVs to share the discovery with the rest of the family.
Studio & Advertising Details (Backmark)
The reverse side features a beautifully clean, printed Victorian advertisement for the photography studio:
* Studio Names: Tichenor & Baker, Photographers.
* Historic Location: Located in Birch’s Opera House Building, Burlington, N.J. (a famous local 1870s cultural landmark).
* Marketing Text: Features the classic 19th-century sales pitch, "Duplicates furnished at any time,"letting buyers know the studio kept the glass negative on file.
