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 325

Cabinet Card, Native American Man, C.C. Stotz, El Reno Oklahoma

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
A portrait that appears to be Oglala Lakota chief, statesman, educator and historian American Horse seated in a full-length studio portrait made by C. C. Stotz of El Reno, Oklahoma Territory, placing the image in the 1890s when Stotz was active in that region. The subject's composed, direct gaze and formal seated posture convey considerable presence, and the painted backdrop depicting trees and open sky was standard to commercial studio practice of the period.

He wears a dark cloth shirt trimmed with fur at the collar and along the front, long braids wrapped with fur or hide, and beaded moccasins with geometric patterning on the vamp. A blanket with a studded border drapes across his lap and legs, and he holds a flat, partially decorated object in both hands, possibly a fan or ceremonial article, while a beaded bag or strap rests across his right thigh.

El Reno, established in 1889 in Canadian County, served as a significant center near the Cheyenne and Arapaho Agency, making it a natural base for a photographer documenting the tribal communities of the surrounding territory. Stotz produced a number of such studio portraits during this era, and his El Reno imprint appears on cards associated with both settler and Native American subjects from the early Oklahoma Territory period.

The reverse is blank with no inscription. The mount's lower border carries the printed imprint "C. C. Stotz, El Reno, Oklahoma" within a decorative ruled border.

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