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 246

CDV, Iowa Civil War Soldier, Geo Wood, A 60

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 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
$50,000 $5,000
Geo Wood, identified in pencil on the reverse, is portrayed in this CDV as an Iowa Civil War soldier, the bust-length tintype inset mounted within an elaborately printed ornamental frame on the card. The format and the identified inscription place this portrait in the early 1860s.

Wood wears a dark military-style sack coat with a column of small buttons running down the front and a high, closed collar, his expression direct and composed. The oval tintype is set into a printed Gothic-arch surround featuring scrollwork, floral devices, and pendant tassels at the apex, sides, and base, a decorative presentation format popular during the Civil War years for soldier portraits.

Iowa furnished more than 75,000 men to the Union Army across dozens of infantry, cavalry, and artillery units, and named Iowa soldier CDVs from this period carry consistent collector interest among Civil War photographic enthusiasts.

The reverse bears a pencil inscription reading "Geo Wood" and what appears to read "A 60," with no photographer's imprint visible on the mount.

From the collection of James Lee Soffer

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