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 326

Cabinet Card, Man in Native American Stage Costume

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 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
$50,000 $5,000
A man in theatrical Native American costume is the subject of this cabinet card, produced in the albumen print process and most likely dating to the 1880s or 1890s based on mount style and image tone. The reverse carries no photographer's imprint, leaving the studio unattributed. A partially legible pencil inscription appears in the upper left corner of the recto.

The subject wears a fringed buckskin shirt and matching fringed leggings with beaded geometric decoration running along the outer seams, paired with moccasins featuring visible beadwork. A tall feathered headdress crowns his long, dark, flowing hair. He sits on a prop rock formation, holds a small pistol raised in his right hand, and rests a rifle across his lap, with a cartridge belt visible at his waist. The painted studio backdrop depicts foliage and a tree trunk.

The costume's theatrical construction, the studio setting, and the posed, performative gesture with the firearms all point strongly toward a stage actor or Wild West show performer rather than a documentary portrait, consistent with popular entertainment imagery of the period.

The mount is blank on the reverse with no printer's imprint; a faint ink mark appears in the upper right corner of the verso.

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