Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

Spring Photographic History Auction

Sat, May 3, 2025 01:00PM EDT
  2025-05-03 13:00:00 2025-05-03 13:00:00 America/New_York Michael Lehr Michael Lehr : Spring Photographic History Auction https://auction.michaellehrantiques.com/auctions/michael-lehr-antiques/spring-photographic-history-auction-19217
Raw, rare, and unforgettable—this is 19th- and early 20th-century photography at its best. Vernacular portraits, Native American warriors, African American resilience, Mormon pioneers, Western frontier families, and stark post-mortem scenes. Daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, tintypes, CDVs, and cabinet cards that capture real life without filters. Every image tells a story of survival, pride, and change. A museum-worthy collection for those who know real American history when they see it.
Michael Lehr Antiques info@michaellehrantiques.com
Lot 239

Cabinet Card of Highly Polished Brass Plumbing Valve

Estimate: $100 - $200
Starting Bid
$50

Bid Increments

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Unusual late 19th-century cabinet card showing a crisp, close-up photograph of a gleaming brass plumbing valve or stopcock. Captured with exceptional detail and high contrast, the image highlights both the functional engineering and aesthetic craftsmanship of the fixture, including the turned handle and finely machined fittings. The composition is striking in its stark minimalism, with the reflective surface of the valve commanding attention against a neutral studio backdrop.

Photographed by H.A. Abercromby of Pottstown, Pennsylvania and Orlando, Florida, the mount features ornate typography and a bold graphic reverse, promoting the photographer's prize-winning studio at 254 High Street. Abercromby was known for his technical skill and innovative marketing—offering enlargement services in pastel, crayon, and watercolor—as reflected on the verso with its medal from the 1893 South Florida Fair.

Likely created for advertising or trade purposes, this image stands out as an early example of industrial and product photography, executed with the care and clarity usually reserved for portraiture. A scarce and eye-catching artifact from the intersection of commerce, plumbing innovation, and 19th-century photographic artistry.

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