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 345

Cabinet Card, Native American Man with Two Children, Sedan KS

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 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
$50,000 $5,000
A seated Native American man holds two young children, one on each knee, in this cabinet card produced by J. C. Avery of Sedan, Kansas, likely during the 1890s. Sedan sits in Chautauqua County in southeastern Kansas, a region with documented Osage and other Plains tribal presence, and the subjects have been identified as possibly Cheyenne. The studio setting and albumen print format place this squarely within the commercial portrait trade of the late nineteenth century.

The man wears a patterned trade cloth shirt, multiple strands of beaded necklaces, and large pendant earrings, with his hair worn in a roach style with a center-parted and shaved sides. The child on the left is dressed in a loose light-colored garment, while the child on the right wears a dark fitted shirt with decorative elements at the sleeves. Both children wear small earrings, and a dark wool blanket or robe drapes across the man's lap. A painted studio backdrop depicting foliage is visible behind the group.

Portraits combining traditional dress and studio conventions were produced frequently across Kansas and Indian Territory during this period, often serving both commercial and personal purposes for Native families and communities.

The recto mount bears the gilt imprint "J. C. Avery, Sedan, Kas." and the verso carries a decorative orange printed advertisement reading "From Avery, Sedan, Kans." with the notation "Duplicates from this Negative at a reduced rate."

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