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 272

Mounted Albumen Photograph, Crow Camp with Teepees

Estimate: $400 - $600
Starting Bid
$200

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
Mounted albumen photograph depicting a Crow (Apsáalooke) encampment, showing a line of teepees arranged along a slight rise with a wooded backdrop. The lodges are constructed of light-colored hides with extended poles, and at least one horse is visible tethered near the camp, indicating an active residential setting rather than a staged scene. The photograph appears to date to the late 19th or very early 20th century based on subject matter, camp structure, and photographic style. No photographer’s imprint or title is visible on the image itself.

The composition aligns with documentary camp views produced in the Crow Reservation region of Montana and northern Wyoming, where photographers recorded every day camp life rather than formal portraits or ethnographic tableaux. The elevated vantage point and lateral spacing of the lodges emphasize the scale and organization of the camp, a format consistent with period field photography of Plains tribes.

The photograph measures approximately 5.5 × 8 inches, mounted on a larger 11 × 14 inch dark gray board with a recessed window opening. The mount is plain and unprinted, with no visible captions, stamps, or inscriptions on the verso.

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