Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

September 2026 Vernacular Photo History Auction

Sat, Sep 19, 2026 11:00AM EDT
  2026-09-19 11:00:00 2026-09-19 11:00:00 America/New_York Michael Lehr Michael Lehr : September 2026 Vernacular Photo History Auction https://auction.michaellehrantiques.com/auctions/michael-lehr-antiques/september-2026-vernacular-photo-history-auction-24380
Our September 2026 auction is anchored by two remarkable private collections, together making up about half the sale, alongside a broader selection of consignments spanning early photography, Civil War material, and vernacular imagery. The Soffer Collection, built with an eye for rarity and historical significance, is particularly strong in vernacular portraiture, Native American photographs, and Iowa Civil War imagery. The Palmer, Massachusetts collection, much of it found at Brimfield, centers on maker-marked daguerreotypes from the golden age of the American daguerreian studio.
Michael Lehr Antiques info@michaellehrantiques.com
Lot 374

Quarter Plate Ambrotype, Elevated View of Horse Cart Crowd

Estimate: $700 - $900
Starting Bid
$350

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$100 $10
$200 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
$50,000 $5,000
A horse drawn two wheeled cart with a top hatted driver, surrounded by a crowd of men and boys on a graveled surface, is the subject of this quarter plate ambrotype, housed in its original thermoplastic case. No photographer's imprint is visible. The elevated, downward looking vantage point is unusual for the period and suggests the photographer worked from a raised position such as a window or platform above the scene.

The driver sits in a light suit and top hat, reins in hand, atop a spindle wheeled cart with a woven seat pad. A man in a straw hat stands at the horse's head holding a pail, and more than a dozen men, women, and boys crowd behind the cart in mixed dress, several caught in blurred motion. The ground beneath the group is covered in loose stones or gravel rather than a paved or planted surface.

The thermoplastic case cover is molded with a figural scene showing a standing man in a plumed hat and cloak holding the bridle of a donkey, greeting two cloaked women accompanied by a dog, within a scrolling foliate border.

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