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 174

Cabinet Card, Native American Family Group, Chas. Latham

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 Native American family of four poses in a studio setting in this cabinet card produced by Chas. Latham of Bradford, Pennsylvania, likely dating to the late 1880s or early 1890s based on the mount style and imprint typography. The man stands at left in a heavily fringed buckskin shirt with beaded or painted decorations, a leather belt, and a full feathered headdress. The seated woman at right wears a beaded crown, long dark dress, and holds a cradleboard with an infant secured inside, while a young girl stands between them wearing a small feathered crown and a dark dress trimmed along the hem with a row of decorative conchos or medallions. The painted studio backdrop features an ornate architectural frieze, and what appears to be a prop chair or easel is visible behind the woman.

The reverse imprint reads "Chas. Latham, Bradford, PA." with the additional lines "Children's Portraits a Specialty" and "All sittings by the instantaneous process," consistent with a commercial studio operating in McKean County, Pennsylvania during the oil boom era of the late nineteenth century.

The mount is larger format, as noted, consistent with a large cabinet card presentation.

From the collection of James Lee Soffer

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