Table Spoon 1791 - 1801

This is a silver tablespoon made by Isaac Hutton, a silversmith working in Albany, New York, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Hutton was part of a network of artisans who helped to create and sustain a sense of local identity in the newly formed United States. The spoon is inscribed with the name "Magdalene Ganseevoort, 1806". The Ganseevoorts were a prominent Dutch family in Albany, and this spoon was likely commissioned as a gift or for personal use. The presence of such an item reflects a certain level of wealth and social standing, but it also suggests something about the relationship between artisans like Hutton and their patrons. Objects like this spoon can tell us a lot about the social and economic history of early America. Museum records, genealogical databases, and local historical societies can help us understand more about the individuals and communities involved in its creation and use.