Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

June 2026 Vernacular Photo History Auction

Wed, Jun 24, 2026 11:00AM EDT
  2026-06-24 11:00:00 2026-06-24 11:00:00 America/New_York Michael Lehr Michael Lehr : June 2026 Vernacular Photo History Auction https://auction.michaellehrantiques.com/auctions/michael-lehr-antiques/june-2026-vernacular-photo-history-auction-23574
Our June 2026 auction presents a focused and exceptional selection of historical photographs spanning the 1840s through the early twentieth century, with unusual depth in named subjects, rare formats, and documented provenance anchored by strong vernacular material that rewards close looking.
Michael Lehr Antiques info@michaellehrantiques.com
Lot 476

Cabinet Card, Charles Campbell, Ventriloquist, with Two Dummies

Estimate: $100 - $200
Current Bid
$50

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$100 $10
$200 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $5,000
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
$50,000 $5,000
Charles Campbell, identified by a detailed family history inscription on the reverse as a man from near Marion, Ohio, poses with two large full-body ventriloquist dummies in this cabinet card mounted on heavy board with an embossed bark-texture decorative border. No studio imprint appears on the mount. The reverse carries an extensive handwritten family genealogy noting Campbell as the paternal grandfather of Gail C. Reese, born and died December 25, 1933, paralyzed by diving into shallow water, and listing his occupations as chiropractor, cafeteria operator in Parkersburg, West Virginia, and bicycle repairman in Whiting, Indiana.

Campbell stands behind a chair on which both dummies are seated, dressed in a dark suit with a white shirt and open collar. The dummy at left is a female figure in a floral-patterned dress with exaggerated painted features and dark hair. The dummy at right is a male figure in a plaid jacket with a watch chain and button-front shirt, similarly constructed with a hinged jaw mechanism visible at the mouth. Both figures are full-body with articulated hands, legs, and period-appropriate footwear, representing a more elaborate and expensive class of ventriloquist figure than the standard lap dummy.

The reverse inscription, written in a careful period hand with the notation "2/02/87" at the lower border, provides an unusually detailed biographical record of the subject, describing a life that moved between professional identities, chiropractor, entertainer, small businessman, against the backdrop of Depression-era economic hardship, disability, and family support in the industrial Midwest.

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