Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

June 2026 Vernacular Photo History Auction

Wed, Jun 24, 2026 11:00AM EDT
Lot 336

Daguerreotype, Woman and Girl with Handmade Cloth Doll

Estimate: $200 - $300

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

A sixth-plate daguerreotype portraits an unidentified woman and young girl seated together in a three-quarter-length composition, most likely produced in the 1850s. The image is housed beneath an arched mat with a gold-embossed paper surround and retained in its original full case. No photographer's imprint is visible on the case or mount.

The woman wears a fitted plaid dress with a white lace collar and a small brooch at the bodice, her dark hair parted at center and drawn back. The girl beside her is dressed in a dark floral print frock with a beaded necklace and holds a handmade cloth doll with a painted face, yarn hair, and a small dressed body cradled in both arms. Both subjects face the camera with composed, unsmiling expressions.

Handmade cloth dolls of this type were common in mid-nineteenth-century American households and were frequently included in children's portraits as cherished possessions. The case exterior is leather with an embossed foliate and scroll design, and the interior lid is lined with deep red embossed velvet.

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