Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

June 2026 Vernacular Photo History Auction

Wed, Jun 24, 2026 11:00AM EDT
  2026-06-24 11:00:00 2026-06-24 11:00:00 America/New_York Michael Lehr Michael Lehr : June 2026 Vernacular Photo History Auction https://auction.michaellehrantiques.com/auctions/michael-lehr-antiques/june-2026-vernacular-photo-history-auction-23574
Our June 2026 auction presents a focused and exceptional selection of historical photographs spanning the 1840s through the early twentieth century, with unusual depth in named subjects, rare formats, and documented provenance anchored by strong vernacular material that rewards close looking.
Michael Lehr Antiques info@michaellehrantiques.com
Lot 489

Photo, Kukla Fran and Ollie, Burr Tillstrom, Signed

Estimate: $25 - $50
Starting Bid
$10

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$100 $10
$200 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $5,000
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
$50,000 $5,000
Burr Tillstrom and Fran Allison pose with Kukla and Ollie in this signed promotional photograph from the early years of their celebrated Chicago television program, with inscriptions in ink identifying each subject. Tillstrom's signature appears across the upper center, "Kukla" is inscribed at left beside the round-nosed clown puppet, "Ollie" at right beside the one-toothed dragon puppet, and a partial signature reading "Fran" is visible at lower left.

Tillstrom holds Kukla at left, the small round-faced puppet with a painted clown expression and ruffled collar visible above the puppet stage ledge. Allison appears at center right, smiling broadly, with Ollie, the dragon puppet with large painted eyes and an open-mouthed expression, positioned at her right shoulder. Allison's dark wavy hair and the photographic style are consistent with the program's early network years.

Kukla, Fran and Ollie premiered on Chicago's WBKB on October 13, 1947, and moved to NBC national broadcast on January 12, 1949, becoming one of the most-watched programs in early American television. The entirely ad-libbed show drew an audience of some four million devoted viewers including John Steinbeck, Thornton Wilder, and Tallulah Bankhead, and was among NBC's first public color broadcasts. Tillstrom created and operated all puppets throughout the show's run, with Allison serving as the sole human performer on screen.

The reverse bears only the penciled catalog notation "DOAFZ / 89."

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