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 397

Quarter Plate Daguerreotype, Two Unidentified Women

Estimate: $200 - $300
Starting Bid
$100

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
Two unidentified women occupy a hand-colored sixth plate daguerreotype housed in a leather case with an ornate gilt mat. Both subjects wear center-parted dark hair smoothed close to the head, and each is dressed in a wide-collared bodice with applied hand coloring in soft blue at the neckwear. The standing woman wears a dark silk dress with deeply folded sleeves and wide lace cuffs, her arm resting across the seated woman's shoulder in a composed gesture of closeness. The seated woman's bodice features a deep fringe trim across the chest, and her arms are folded in her lap with lace cuffs visible at the wrists.

The coloring applied to both bow-tied collars is consistent in hue, suggesting the same hand finished both figures. The standing subject turns her gaze slightly away from the lens while the seated woman meets it directly, creating a subtle but deliberate visual contrast between the two portraits within the single frame.

Paired portraits of this kind were common studio commissions throughout the 1840s and 1850s, often recording close familial bonds. The hand-applied color, the quality of the silk dress on the standing figure, and the careful posing indicate a professional studio of some competence.

The photographer's name appears embossed in mirror-reversed text along the lower gilt mat edge, reading "INSLEY." The leather case is plain on the exterior with a brass clasp closure.

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