Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

September 2026 Vernacular Photo History Auction

Sat, Sep 19, 2026 11:00AM EDT
  2026-09-19 11:00:00 2026-09-19 11:00:00 America/New_York Michael Lehr Michael Lehr : September 2026 Vernacular Photo History Auction https://auction.michaellehrantiques.com/auctions/michael-lehr-antiques/september-2026-vernacular-photo-history-auction-24380
Our September 2026 auction is anchored by two remarkable private collections, together making up about half the sale, alongside a broader selection of consignments spanning early photography, Civil War material, and vernacular imagery. The Soffer Collection, built with an eye for rarity and historical significance, is particularly strong in vernacular portraiture, Native American photographs, and Iowa Civil War imagery. The Palmer, Massachusetts collection, much of it found at Brimfield, centers on maker-marked daguerreotypes from the golden age of the American daguerreian studio.
Michael Lehr Antiques info@michaellehrantiques.com
Lot 156

Cabinet Card, Apache Warrior, by D. A. Markey

Estimate: $300 - $500
Starting Bid
$150

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$100 $10
$200 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
$50,000 $5,000
An Apache warrior stands in full-length pose in this albumen cabinet card, the printed caption "AN APACHE WARRIOR" appearing directly on the image below the figure. The photograph was made by D. A. Markey, identified on the reverse as a Photo. Artist, and dates to the 1880s based on mount style and imprint typography.

The subject wears a loose light-colored shirt belted at the waist, loose trousers, and moccasins, and holds a rifle horizontally across his body with both hands. A feathered headdress adorned with what appear to be small decorative elements crowns his long dark hair, and a beaded or shell necklace with pendant ornaments hangs at his chest. The studio set includes branches with dried foliage arranged at right, a rocky prop at lower right, scattered dry grasses on the ground, and a painted backdrop suggesting an exterior setting.

Apache portrait cabinet cards produced for commercial distribution circulated widely during the Southwest campaigns of the 1880s, when public interest in Apache subjects was at its height, and studio photographers in Arizona and New Mexico actively documented and sold such images to military personnel, tourists, and collectors.

The reverse bears the printed imprint: "D. A. Markey, Photo. Artist." with a small floral ornament below.

From the collection of James Lee Soffer

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