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 308

Cabinet Card of Native American Family in Regal Attire

Estimate: $200 - $300
Starting Bid
$100

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An evocative and beautifully composed cabinet card photograph of a Native American family taken by Charles Latham of Bradford, Pennsylvania. The image features a father in a fringed buckskin shirt, belt, and feathered headdress, standing beside his wife, who wears a dark dress adorned with decorative medallions and a crown-like headdress. She holds a swaddled infant in a traditional cradleboard. A young daughter, also dressed in finery, stands between them, wearing a crown and matching decorations.

The studio backdrop and carpeted floor provide a fascinating contrast to the family's regalia, capturing the tension and fusion between Native identity and Victorian photographic conventions. The backmark is boldly printed with Latham’s details and highlights his specialization in “Children’s Portraits,” with this image likely a proud display of both cultural pride and familial legacy.

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