Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

Spring Photographic History Auction

Sat, May 3, 2025 01:00PM EDT
  2025-05-03 13:00:00 2025-05-03 13:00:00 America/New_York Michael Lehr Michael Lehr : Spring Photographic History Auction https://auction.michaellehrantiques.com/auctions/michael-lehr-antiques/spring-photographic-history-auction-19217
Raw, rare, and unforgettable—this is 19th- and early 20th-century photography at its best. Vernacular portraits, Native American warriors, African American resilience, Mormon pioneers, Western frontier families, and stark post-mortem scenes. Daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, tintypes, CDVs, and cabinet cards that capture real life without filters. Every image tells a story of survival, pride, and change. A museum-worthy collection for those who know real American history when they see it.
Michael Lehr Antiques info@michaellehrantiques.com
Lot 195

Full Plate Tintype – "Weekly News Staff," Jan. 1882

Estimate: $200 - $300
Starting Bid
$100

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Exceptional and unusually large full plate tintype featuring a group portrait of eight members of a newspaper team identified as the Weekly News Staff, dated January 1882. Captured in a studio setting with a rustic painted backdrop and a clearly legible hand-painted sign hanging above the group, this compelling image documents a slice of 19th-century American journalistic life.

The staff is arranged in a relaxed and informal grouping—four men and two boys seated, flanked by three standing men, all wearing rolled-up sleeves, vests, and ties. Their mix of youthful and mature faces suggests a tight-knit, possibly family-run operation with apprentices or young typesetters included. The scene is grounded by a faux grass studio prop floor, giving the illusion of an outdoor editorial retreat.

Images of newspaper or print shop workers from the 19th century are exceedingly rare, especially in tintype format and at this size. The photograph offers rich documentary value, blending occupational, social, and vernacular portraiture elements. Condition is strong for its size, with some bends.

A museum-worthy portrait that speaks to the emerging role of small-town journalism during the Gilded Age, perfect for collectors of occupational photography, Americana, or 19th-century visual history.

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