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 271

Half Plate Tintype of a Blacksmith in His Forge

Estimate: $200 - $300
Starting Bid
$100

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $10
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A powerful occupational portrait of a blacksmith standing inside his forge, captured in a rare half plate tintype. The subject stands confidently with one hand on his hip and the other resting on the anvil, surrounded by an immersive array of tools, tongs, and ironwork. Behind him, a stone forge dominates the right side of the image, while to his left, horseshoes are neatly arranged along the wall in rows. The composition reveals remarkable detail, including the hammer rack, long iron rods leaning against the wall, and the textured brickwork of the forge chimney. Light filters in dramatically, emphasizing the muscularity of the figure and the heavy labor of his trade. Images of blacksmiths within their working environments are uncommon, especially in this large format and with such an abundance of contextual detail. The portrait offers an invaluable visual record of 19th-century craftsmanship and the tools of a vanishing profession, rendered with cinematic depth and clarity. A rare and evocative occupational tintype.

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