Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

June 2026 Vernacular Photo History Auction

Wed, Jun 24, 2026 11:00AM EDT
  2026-06-24 11:00:00 2026-06-24 11:00:00 America/New_York Michael Lehr Michael Lehr : June 2026 Vernacular Photo History Auction https://auction.michaellehrantiques.com/auctions/michael-lehr-antiques/june-2026-vernacular-photo-history-auction-23574
Our June 2026 auction presents a focused and exceptional selection of historical photographs spanning the 1840s through the early twentieth century, with unusual depth in named subjects, rare formats, and documented provenance anchored by strong vernacular material that rewards close looking.
Michael Lehr Antiques info@michaellehrantiques.com
Lot 499

Cabinet Card, Unidentified Older Female Midget, F. Schanz, Fort Wayne, Ind

Estimate: $100 - $200
Starting Bid
$50

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$100 $10
$200 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $5,000
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
$50,000 $5,000
An unidentified older female midget is portrayed in a full-length seated pose, produced as a cabinet card by F. Schanz at 112 Calhoun Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana. The studio operated at that address during the latter decades of the nineteenth century, placing this image within the broader tradition of formal parlor portraiture common to the 1880s and 1890s. The subject faces the camera with a slight, natural smile, lending the image an unusual warmth for a formal studio sitting of the period.

The woman wears a dark full-length dress with long sleeves and a prominent white lace collar at the neckline, and her gray hair is pulled back smooth against her head. Her right hand rests on the curved wooden arm of an ornate parlor chair beside her, while her left hand rests in her lap displaying what appears to be a ring. A potted palm on a wrought iron plant stand occupies the right background, and a patterned carpet is visible at the base of the frame.

F. Schanz was an established Fort Wayne photographer whose gilt-imprinted studio mark and decorative monogram appear prominently across the lower mount, consistent with cabinet card mounts produced for quality commercial studios of the 1880s and 1890s.

The penciled notation "1294 Y" appears at the upper right of the reverse, likely a studio or collection catalog number.

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