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 333

CDV, Possibly Yankton Dakota, G. W. Clifford, Omaha

Estimate: $200 - $300
Starting Bid
$100

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 seated Native American figure, possibly Yankton Dakota, fills the frame of this albumen CDV produced by G. W. Clifford of the City Gallery on Farnam Street in Omaha. Clifford operated at that address in the 1860s and early 1870s, a period when Omaha served as a significant point of contact between government agents, traders, and Plains tribal delegations, making studio portraits of Native subjects a documented part of his practice.

The subject sits in a straight-fronted pose holding a strung bow horizontally across the lap, with arrows visible alongside it. Long braids fall forward over both shoulders, wrapped or ornamented along their length, and a beaded or quilled necklace is visible at the throat. A blanket or robe is draped over the shoulders and torso, and elaborately decorated leggings with fringe and geometric beadwork extend to soft-soled moccasins at the feet.

The Yankton Dakota, a Siouan-speaking people of the northern Plains and Missouri River region, maintained relationships with Omaha-area traders and federal agents throughout this era, and delegations traveled to regional centers with some regularity. The reverse imprint reads G. W. Clifford, City Gallery, Farnam Street, 5 doors East of Post Office, Omaha, N.Y., with cursive inscriptions above and below the printed cartouche that remain only partially legible.

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