Rochester New York 1872 M.N. Van Zandt Tea Coffee Spice Billhead - 8.5 x 6

This 1872 billhead documents Rochester’s role as a growing commercial and manufacturing center during the late nineteenth century, when specialty food processors and wholesalers supported both local and regional markets.

In the post–Civil War period, firms dealing in tea, coffee, spices, and baking ingredients occupied an important place in American food distribution, supplying retailers and households with imported and processed goods. Businesses like coffee and spice mills reflected changing consumer tastes, expanding global trade networks, and the increasing standardization of packaged food products.

Issued by M. N. Van Zandt & Co., manufacturers and wholesale dealers in teas, coffees, spices, baking powder, and related goods, this handwritten 1872 billhead records itemized purchases using period accounting practices. The printed header identifies the firm’s Buffalo Street address in Rochester, anchoring the document within the city’s commercial district. Measuring approximately 8.5 x 6 inches, the billhead shows light age toning, fold lines, and ink wear consistent with nineteenth-century business paper, offering strong research value for collectors of American ephemera, food history, and regional commerce.

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