The Lea family were among the largest flour mill operators at the Brandywine Falls, north of Wilmington, Delaware, since the 1770s, when Thomas Lea (1757–1823) joined in partnership with Joseph Tatnall (1740–1813). After his death, his son, William Lea (1805-1876), took over operation of the mills in 1837. In 1864, William Lea brought his sons Henry Lea (1839-1888) and Preston Lea (1841-1916) into the firm, changing the name to William Lea & Sons Company. The Lea family was prominent in Wilmington and Brandywine Village, and married into several other prominent Delaware business families.

An appraisal of this collection in 1969 determined that the bulk of the silhouettes were made at the Peale Museum in Philadelphia, possibly by more than one hand. According to the appraiser: "Peale silhouettes are not easily come by. They were made to order by individuals, at the Museum and were cut from a piece of Whatman paper, French fold, resulting in 4 finished profiles, approximate finished size 4 x 5 in. high. They were generally blind-stamped with the Museum logo, probably before cutting and which may or may not show in the finished product. They are characterized by a high degree of artistic ability and generally show a uniform treatment of the bust cut-off and the loose strands of hair which are almost always present in the female profiles. A comparison made with the Peale collection of file copies in possession of the Library Company of Philadelphia confirm (sic.) the above."