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 340

CDV, Native American Man in Traditional Regalia

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
A full-length studio portrait of an unidentified Native American man rendered as an albumen CDV, likely dating to the 1870s based on the mount style and rounded corners. The subject stands before a painted studio backdrop with a draped curtain at left and an ornate paneled door surround at right, a common arrangement among frontier-era commercial photographers. No photographer's imprint appears on the reverse.

The man wears a plaid trade cloth shirt beneath a beaded bandolier bag with geometric diamond motifs and long fringe, and heavily beaded leggings or moccasin boots reaching the knee with floral and curvilinear beadwork patterns. A fringed sash hangs at his waist, and he holds what appears to be a fur-wrapped object or pipe in both hands. His headdress consists of a wrapped cloth turban from which two upright feathers extend.

The beaded bandolier bag and beaded leggings are of a style associated with Great Lakes or Eastern Woodlands nations, suggesting either an Ojibwe or related tribal affiliation, though no inscription or label confirms the subject's identity or nation. The reverse is blank with no photographer's imprint visible.

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