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 313

Cabinet Card, Jumbo Big Tree, Santa Cruz, Reese's Cal. Views

Estimate: $100 - $200
Starting 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
A young girl seated at the massive base of a named coast redwood identified as "Jumbo" is the subject of this albumen print cabinet card from Reese's California Views, Santa Cruz, California, copyrighted May 17, 1886. The image is number 65 in Reese's catalogued series of views in and around Santa Cruz, and the tree's name sign is affixed directly to the bark above the child's head. The front mount bears the series title "Reese's California Views" with the publisher's residence at 16 Spruce St., Santa Cruz, California.

The girl wears a dark dress and sits between the two massive diverging trunks at the root base of the tree, dwarfed entirely by the fluted, deeply furrowed bark rising out of frame above her; a second large redwood trunk is visible to the right, and a park structure and fence appear in the left background. The number 65 is painted on the root base near the girl.

The reverse catalog describes Jumbo as 48 feet in circumference and 270 feet high, and notes that the tree takes its name from the resemblance of a natural formation at its base to an elephant's head and trunk. The grove of Santa Cruz Big Trees, located six miles from the city along the Southern Pacific Coast Railroad line, was a principal tourist destination of the 1880s and the primary subject of Reese's commercial view series.

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