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 312

Real Photo Postcard, Boy on Early Motorcycle, Racine, Wis

Estimate: $50 - $100
Starting Bid
$25

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 young boy astride an early single-cylinder motorcycle poses in a residential backyard in this real photo postcard, postmarked Racine, Wisconsin, on May 23, 1910. The RPPC format places this image squarely within the golden age of amateur photographic postcards, and the motorcycle itself reflects the nascent American motorized two-wheel industry of that era.

The boy wears a striped collared shirt, dark trousers, and lace-up boots, gripping the flat handlebars with both hands in a confident forward lean. The motorcycle displays a visible V-configuration single-cylinder engine, a cylindrical fuel tank, spoke wheels with wide pneumatic tires, a rear fender, and exposed belt or chain drive. A wooden plank fence, a leafless tree, and a clapboard structure fill the background.

The card was mailed to Miss Stella Zulauf, Union Grove, Wisconsin, R.R. 7, Box 11, and signed by "Aunt Sylvia," who mentions Harry being ill with a bad cold. A handwritten notation appears upside down along the top edge of the reverse.

From the collection of James Lee Soffer

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