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 213

CDV, Horace Greeley, Journalist and Presidential Candidate

Estimate: $50 - $100
Starting Bid
$25

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
Horace Greeley, founder of the New-York Tribune and one of the most influential American journalists of the nineteenth century, is portrayed in this albumen CDV in a three-quarter bust composition against a plain studio ground. The photographer's imprint is absent from the reverse, leaving attribution unresolved, though the mount style and print tone are consistent with the late 1860s to early 1870s. The subject identification is confirmed by the printed caption below the image.

Greeley wears a dark, broad-brimmed felt hat pulled low, a lapeled frock coat over a vest, and a loosely knotted bow tie, with his distinctive white chin whiskers and clean-shaven upper lip clearly visible. His expression is direct and unsmiling, and the overall presentation aligns closely with widely circulated portrait photographs taken during his later public years.

Greeley ran as the Liberal Republican and Democratic candidate for president against Ulysses S. Grant in 1872, losing decisively; he died just weeks after the election, making portraits from this period among the most historically resonant of his career. The reverse is blank with no photographer's imprint or notations.

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