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 341

Cabinet Card, Native American Group Portrait, Anderson, New York

Estimate: $300 - $500
Starting Bid
$150

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
Eight unidentified Pawnee men are arranged in two rows in this albumen cabinet card, made at the Anderson studio at 785 Broadway, New York. The studio imprint appears in script on the front mount and is confirmed by the decorative back mark, which also carries the text "Negatives always Preserved. Duplicates Can Be Had At Any Time." The image likely dates to the 1870s or early 1880s, a period when delegations of Plains Indians traveled to eastern cities for treaty negotiations and government meetings.

The four standing men wear loose cloth shirts, blanket wraps, and long braided hair adorned with feathers and ornamental ties, while one displays a large woven sash at his waist. The four seated figures in the front row wear similar dress with visible beaded or wrapped necklaces, and at least two hold small objects in their laps. All eight subjects face the camera directly with composed, formal expressions against a plain studio backdrop.

Anderson at 785 Broadway was an active New York portrait studio during the post-Civil War era, and Pawnee delegations made several documented visits to the eastern United States during this period, making studio photographs of this type a recognized documentary record of those encounters.

The reverse bears the printed Anderson imprint with address and studio motto.

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