Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

Winter Photographic History Auction 2026

Sat, Jan 31, 2026 01:00PM EST
  2026-01-31 13:00:00 2026-01-31 13:00:00 America/New_York Michael Lehr Michael Lehr : Winter Photographic History Auction 2026 https://auction.michaellehrantiques.com/auctions/michael-lehr-antiques/winter-photographic-history-auction-2026-21839
We are pleased to present our Winter Photography Auction, opening January 31 at 1:00 PM Eastern, featuring approximately 270 individual lots spanning the full breadth of 19th- and early 20th-century photography. The sale brings together landmark historical images, rare early photographic processes, and a deep selection of vernacular material created outside the conventions of formal studio portraiture. Collectively, these works offer a direct, unfiltered record of American life, identity, conflict, labor, and memory during photography’s formative century.
Michael Lehr Antiques info@michaellehrantiques.com
Lot 274

Council Meeting of Omaha Indians, Stereoview by Hamilton & Hoy

Estimate: $300 - $500
Starting Bid
$150

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $10
$200 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
Albumen stereoview depicting a council meeting of Omaha Indians gathered outdoors beneath a large tree, photographed by the western firm Hamilton & Hoyt. The carefully arranged scene shows a mixed assembly of Omaha leaders, men, women, and children, seated and standing in a semicircle around a central table. Several figures wear traditional dress and blankets, while others appear in Euro-American clothing, underscoring the transitional period in Plains Indian life during the mid- to late nineteenth century.

Behind the group, a large tent or lodge is erected, with flags prominently displayed, adding a formal, diplomatic tone to the gathering and suggesting an official council or treaty-related meeting rather than a casual encampment scene. The stereoscopic format lends depth to the composition, with tall grass in the foreground and layered figures receding toward the tree line, a hallmark of field stereography of the period.

Hamilton & Hoyt are best known for their documentation of Native American tribes and western expansion, and this image fits squarely within their ethnographic and documentary output. The view is numbered in the negative and printed on a yellow mount typical of commercial stereoview production of the era.

Condition shows light overall toning, minor surface wear, and edge wear to the mount consistent with age and handling. A strong and historically important stereoview documenting Omaha leadership, council practice, and nineteenth-century Plains diplomacy, with clear appeal to collectors of Native American photography, western Americana, and early stereoscopic views.

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