Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

2026 European Photography Auction

Wed, Oct 28, 2026 01:00PM EDT
  2026-10-28 13:00:00 2026-10-28 13:00:00 America/New_York Michael Lehr Michael Lehr : 2026 European Photography Auction https://auction.michaellehrantiques.com/auctions/michael-lehr-antiques/2026-european-photography-auction-24401
Our October auction focuses on historic European photography, we are offering a curated collection of fine and erotic daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, tintypes, CDV, cabinet cards, stereoviews, and a range of curious and uncommon nineteenth-century European vernacular material. At the center of the sale is a collection of images from the Paris Commune of 1871 and the surrounding “année terrible,” the year of war, siege, insurrection, and reprisal that reshaped France. The focus is on the people who drove those events and lived through their aftermath, and on the city that bore the damage.
Michael Lehr Antiques info@michaellehrantiques.com
Lot 228

CDV, Bearded Gentleman, Oldest Subscriber, Fontaine

Estimate: $100 - $200
Starting Bid
$10

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 three-quarter-length portrait of a bearded middle-aged man fills this carte de visite, produced on an albumen print mounted to a plain card with a thin decorative border. No photographer's imprint appears on either the recto or verso, placing the image outside a commercial studio context or suggesting it was produced by an itinerant photographer, and the format and fashion details are consistent with a date in the 1860s.

The subject wears a dark wool frock coat over a buttoned waistcoat, with a broad white bow cravat at the collar. A watch chain descends from a vest pocket, terminating in a flat oval fob visible against his chest. His hair is thick and wavy, swept back from the temples, and his full beard is neatly shaped, with the gaze directed slightly upward and away from the lens.

The portrait carries a certain quiet authority, the watch chain and well-tailored coat marking the sitter as a man of comfortable means and civic standing, consistent with someone noted as a long-tenured subscriber in his community.

Inscribed in pencil on the reverse: "Fontaine / oldest subscriber of / This Horn" (Fontaine, oldest subscriber of This Horn); no photographer's imprint visible.

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We ship for free on combined lot values of $500 or higher in the United States. We will be traveling to Paris November 8-14th and can deliver any of our items at Paris Photo or the show on Saturday.