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 592

Real Photo Postcard, Group Portrait, Old Orchard, Maine

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
Four unidentified visitors pose against a painted studio backdrop depicting a seaside trolley car at Old Orchard Beach, Maine, in this real photo postcard produced by Newport Studio of Old Orchard, Maine. The format and the studio's specialty in souvenir portraiture place the image firmly in the early twentieth century, consistent with summer resort photography popular along the Maine coast during the 1910s. Newport Studio operated as a seasonal commercial studio catering to beach tourists seeking novelty portrait cards as vacation mementos.

The two men wear straw boater hats and suit coats, one with a dark four-in-hand necktie and a watch fob chain, the other in a looser sack suit with a patterned cravat. Both women wear wide-brimmed summer hats, one dressed in a light belted cardigan with a ruffled collar and a bead necklace, the other in a white blouse with a boldly striped skirt cinched with a wide sash belt. All four rest their hands on an ornate scrollwork railing, and a placard reading "Old Orchard" is mounted prominently at the lower center of the backdrop.

Old Orchard Beach was among the most visited summer resorts in New England during this period, drawing large crowds via rail from Boston and Portland. The reverse bears the printed imprint "Newport Studio, Old Orchard, Me." with a handwritten notation reading "2/10" in the stamp area.

Available payment options

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • Amex
  • Diners
  • Discover
  • JCB
  • Union Pay
PayPal

All SHIPPING of photographs with total purchases above $500 is FREE, buyers to pay insurance at $2 per $100.