Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

June 2026 Vernacular Photo History Auction

Wed, Jun 24, 2026 11:00AM EDT
Lot 307

Celluloid Photo Button, Unidentified Couple, Floral Border

Estimate: $100 - $200

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
Two oval portrait photographs of an unidentified man and woman are set side by side at the center of this round celluloid photo button, produced circa 1900 to 1910. The button format, popularized in the late nineteenth century, encases a photographic print beneath a domed celluloid shell crimped to a tin back. No photographer's imprint is visible on the reverse.

The woman wears a high-collared white blouse with ruffled front and puffed shoulders, her dark hair swept up; the man wears a dark suit with a striped cravat and a full beard. Both are presented in bust-length oval vignettes set against a yellow ground. The surrounding border features a painted floral wreath of red, pink, and white roses with green foliage on a sage-green field.

The composition and hand-colored decorative surround are characteristic of commercially produced keepsake buttons intended for display rather than wearing. The tin back is plain and unmarked, with no pin hardware present.

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