Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

June 2026 Vernacular Photo History Auction

Wed, Jun 24, 2026 11:00AM EDT
Lot 279

Cabinet Card Children Playing Blindman's Bluff, Norm Bros, Cassville WI

Estimate: $100 - $200

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
Four unidentified girls enact a game of blindman's bluff in this lively and well-composed cabinet card by Norm Bros of Cassville, Wisconsin, dating to the early 1890s based on dress styles and mount format. The deliberate staging of a children's game as a formal studio subject gives the image unusual energy for the period, with each figure caught in a distinct and natural-looking pose that suggests the photographer had real skill in directing young subjects.

The blindfolded girl at center stands in a white dress with a white cloth tied across her eyes and her long dark hair loose down her back, her arms extended and reaching toward the older girl at left who leans away laughing with her own hair falling loose. A third girl in a white dress with a lace capelet kneels at right behind a wicker settee watching the action with obvious delight. A toddler in a print dress sits on the floor at lower left looking up at the scene. Two wicker chairs and a patterned curtain furnish the studio setting.

The right border of the mount carries the printed imprint of Norm Bros, Cassville, Wis., with an Extra Finish notation in an ornate gold decorative format running vertically along the edge.

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