Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

Winter Photographic History Auction 2026

Sat, Jan 31, 2026 01:00PM EST
  2026-01-31 13:00:00 2026-01-31 13:00:00 America/New_York Michael Lehr Michael Lehr : Winter Photographic History Auction 2026 https://auction.michaellehrantiques.com/auctions/michael-lehr-antiques/winter-photographic-history-auction-2026-21839
We are pleased to present our Winter Photography Auction, opening January 31 at 1:00 PM Eastern, featuring approximately 270 individual lots spanning the full breadth of 19th- and early 20th-century photography. The sale brings together landmark historical images, rare early photographic processes, and a deep selection of vernacular material created outside the conventions of formal studio portraiture. Collectively, these works offer a direct, unfiltered record of American life, identity, conflict, labor, and memory during photography’s formative century.
Michael Lehr Antiques info@michaellehrantiques.com
Lot 269

Real Photo Postcard, Native American Women with Infants

Estimate: $100 - $200
Starting Bid
$50

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $10
$200 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
Real photo postcard depicting four Native American women seated in a studio interior, each wearing traditional dress and layered bead necklaces, with three infants present. Two of the infants are secured in cradleboards, while a third is held in the arms of the woman at right. The women are arranged in a formal, frontal composition, suggesting a posed studio portrait rather than an outdoor or candid scene.

The clothing and adornment point to the American Southwest, likely Pueblo, with woven blankets, patterned textiles, and extensive use of beadwork and necklaces characteristic of late 19th- to early 20th-century Indigenous dress. The cradleboards, visible textile bindings, and infant head supports are consistent with Pueblo and neighboring cultural practices, though no specific tribal attribution is printed or otherwise confirmed.

Issued as a real photo postcard, probably intended for commercial sale or ethnographic interest during the early postcard era. No photographer credit or location is visible on the image itself. The studio backdrop and careful posing reflect the period’s photographic conventions when documenting Native American family life for both local and tourist markets.

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