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 153

Cabinet Card, Kickapoo Medicine Show, Chas. E. Maurettus

Estimate: $200 - $300
Starting Bid
$100

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
An outdoor medicine show stage and company are documented in this large-format cabinet card, the reverse bearing a partial cast and crew roster that includes "Chas. E. Maurettus, Ventriloquist and Punch and Judy" alongside a banjoist, blackface comedian, vocalist, Irish and Dutch sketch artists, and a manager, identifying this as a traveling variety troupe attached to a patent medicine operation. A third image provided is a research document confirming the Kickapoo Indian Medicine Company as a major employer of such entertainment troupes. No studio imprint appears on the mount.

Five figures stand before a portable outdoor stage with a striped awning, painted scenic backdrop depicting an interior, and electric globe lights mounted at the proscenium corners. Two men in top hats stand at left before the stage apron, a woman in a dark dress and hat leans against the center front, and a man in a suit with crossed arms stands at right. Two additional figures appear standing on the stage itself. Rows of empty plank benches fill the foreground, a central aisle dividing the audience seating, and canvas tents and a wagon are visible at the flanks.

The Kickapoo Indian Medicine Company, founded by John Healy and Charles Bigelow and operating from the 1880s through the early twentieth century, was the largest patent medicine show operation in the United States, employing hundreds of performers including ventriloquists, comedians, musicians, and sketch artists to draw audiences for its product demonstrations. Chas. E. Maurettus, identified here as a ventriloquist and Punch and Judy performer, appears in another card in this sale operating under the name Prof. Maurettus.

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