Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

Fall Photographic History Auction, 2025

Sat, Sep 6, 2025 01:00PM EDT
  2025-09-06 13:00:00 2025-09-06 13:00:00 America/New_York Michael Lehr Michael Lehr : Fall Photographic History Auction, 2025 https://auction.michaellehrantiques.com/auctions/michael-lehr-antiques/fall-photographic-history-auction-2025-20189
We are pleased to announce our next auction, featuring approximately 200 individual lots drawn from a diverse and compelling range of 19th- and early 20th-century photography. This sale focuses on vernacular images, photographs created not as formal studio portraits or elite commissions, but as direct, unscripted records of lived experience. These are objects made by and for everyday people, preserving moments of intimacy, labor, travel, performance, identity, and loss.
Michael Lehr Antiques info@michaellehrantiques.com
Lot 266

CDV Tintype of Two Children with Extra Large Drums

Estimate: $100 - $200
Starting Bid
$50

Bid Increments

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Vivid CDV-sized tintype of a young girl and older boy posed with oversized bass drums, their instruments enhanced with hand-applied paint in brilliant red, gold, and purple. The drums, nearly as large as the girl herself, dominate the composition with theatrical flair, making the image a compelling example of early hand-colored photography. The girl wears a checked dress and miniature bonnet, while the boy appears more formally dressed, possibly indicating a band uniform or performance attire.

The deliberate visual emphasis on the drums, combined with the uncommon pairing of children and military-style instruments, suggests this may commemorate a performance or parade appearance. Such oversized props and bold tinting are exceptionally rare in occupational or hobby portraits of the era, making this an eye-catching and likely unique survival.

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