Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

March 2026 Unreserved Photo Auction — Curiosities, Performers & Vernacular Photography

Sat, Mar 28, 2026 01:00PM EDT
  2026-03-28 13:00:00 2026-03-28 13:00:00 America/New_York Michael Lehr Michael Lehr : March 2026 Unreserved Photo Auction — Curiosities, Performers & Vernacular Photography https://auction.michaellehrantiques.com/auctions/michael-lehr-antiques/march-2026-unreserved-photo-auction-curiosities-performers-vernacular-photography-22648
Our March 2026 auction presents a wide selection of historical photographs, postcards, entertainment memorabilia, and visual curiosities spanning the mid-nineteenth through twentieth centuries. Every lot is offered completely without reserve, ensuring that each item sells to the highest bidder regardless of price. Combined purchases totaling $500 or more qualify for free shipping, providing collectors an added incentive to bid across multiple lots. The unreserved format creates opportunities for both new and experienced collectors to acquire unusual and historically interesting material.
Michael Lehr Antiques info@michaellehrantiques.com
Lot 106

Humorous Cabinet Card Portrait Man Rolling His Eyes – Fairbanks

Estimate: $50 - $400
Starting Bid
$10

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 cabinet card photograph showing a mustached man posed with arms crossed and eyes rolled upward in an exaggerated expression. The subject wears a vest and soft cap and appears deliberately posed for comic effect, an uncommon but appealing form of late 19th- or early 20th-century vernacular studio photography. The photograph was made by O. D. Fairbanks of Adrian, Michigan, whose imprint appears on the mount.

Humorous expressions and novelty portraits were occasionally produced in commercial studios but survive far less frequently than conventional portraits. The exaggerated upward gaze and theatrical mustache give the image a distinctly playful character typical of informal vernacular commissions rather than standard studio work.

Mount imprint reads O. D. Fairbanks, Adrian, Mich. The reverse bears a pencil inscription reading “O. D. Fairbanks”.

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Spend $500 or more at our auction and all of your SHIPPING IS FREE, buyers to pay insurance if they want it.