Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

June 2026 Vernacular Photo History Auction

Wed, Jun 24, 2026 11:00AM EDT
  2026-06-24 11:00:00 2026-06-24 11:00:00 America/New_York Michael Lehr Michael Lehr : June 2026 Vernacular Photo History Auction https://auction.michaellehrantiques.com/auctions/michael-lehr-antiques/june-2026-vernacular-photo-history-auction-23574
Our June 2026 auction presents a focused and exceptional selection of historical photographs spanning the 1840s through the early twentieth century, with unusual depth in named subjects, rare formats, and documented provenance anchored by strong vernacular material that rewards close looking.
Michael Lehr Antiques info@michaellehrantiques.com
Lot 177

CDV, Seth Kinman, California Hunter and Trapper, Brady, 1864

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 $5,000
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
$50,000 $5,000
Seth Kinman, identified by printed caption on the face of the card as "California Hunter and Trapper, who presented President Lincoln with the Elk Horn Chair," is portrayed in a three-quarter bust view in this CDV by Brady's National Photographic Portrait Galleries, No. 352 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C., and Broadway and Tenth Street, New York, copyrighted by Seth Kinman in 1864 in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the District of Columbia. The card was produced during one of Kinman's documented visits to Washington and circulated widely as a celebrity portrait.

Kinman is shown wearing a large fur robe draped over his shoulders and a fur cap with a projecting tail at the crown, his enormous full beard extending well down his chest, his expression serious and his gaze directed slightly away from the camera. The plain tonal background and tight framing place full emphasis on the subject's striking appearance, which made him one of the most recognizable frontier figures of the era.

Seth Kinman (1815-1888) was a celebrated California mountain man, hunter, and showman known for presenting hand-crafted elk horn chairs to sitting presidents, including Abraham Lincoln in 1864 and Andrew Johnson in 1865. His visits to Washington drew wide press coverage and his CDV portraits, copyrighted in his own name, were among the most popular frontier celebrity cards of the Civil War period.

The reverse bears the decorative imprint of Brady's National Photographic Portrait Galleries, No. 352 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C. and Broadway and Tenth Street, New York, with penciled notations reading "75.00" and "79."

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