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 336

CDV, Raed-Stone, Iroquois Chief, Hand-Colored Portrait

Estimate: $300 - $500
Starting Bid
$150

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
Raed-Stone, identified on the reverse as an Iroquois chief, is portrayed in this hand-colored CDV seated in a studio chair, conveying authority and composure in full ceremonial dress. The albumen print has been carefully colored by hand, likely in the 1860s or 1870s, and no photographer's imprint appears on the mount. The vivid applied coloring across the regalia elevates this beyond a standard studio portrait into a deliberate document of Indigenous leadership.

His attire is rendered in striking detail: heavily beaded and painted leggings in yellow, red, and green cover his legs to the ankle, and matching decorated moccasins complete the lower dress. A large hair-pipe and claw breastplate hangs over a dark trade-cloth blanket with a fringed hem, and a red cloth headband supports upright feathers. He holds a fan of yellow feathers in his right hand and wears a large circular gorget at his chest.

The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Haudenosaunee, is one of the oldest representative democracies in North America, comprising six nations. The reverse bears the ink inscription "Raed-Stone, Iroy Chief" in period script along with the penciled numeral 12.

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