Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

June 2026 Vernacular Photo History Auction

Wed, Jun 24, 2026 11:00AM EDT
  2026-06-24 11:00:00 2026-06-24 11:00:00 America/New_York Michael Lehr Michael Lehr : June 2026 Vernacular Photo History Auction https://auction.michaellehrantiques.com/auctions/michael-lehr-antiques/june-2026-vernacular-photo-history-auction-23574
Our June 2026 auction presents a focused and exceptional selection of historical photographs spanning the 1840s through the early twentieth century, with unusual depth in named subjects, rare formats, and documented provenance anchored by strong vernacular material that rewards close looking.
Michael Lehr Antiques info@michaellehrantiques.com
Lot 523

Real Photo Postcard, On The Boardwalk Caricature, Atlantic City

Estimate: $25 - $50
Current Bid
$10

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$100 $10
$200 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $5,000
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
$50,000 $5,000
Two unidentified men are depicted in this real photo postcard souvenir produced by Foto Dittrich at 1107 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, New Jersey. The image combines actual photographic portraits of the subjects' heads with hand-drawn caricature bodies rendered directly onto the card stock, a novelty technique popular with boardwalk souvenir studios in the early twentieth century. The exaggerated figures face one another in a lively exchange, their oversized heads mounted atop comically small drawn bodies.

Both men wear flat newsboy-style caps, and both are dressed in matching plaid suits with wide-cuffed trousers and low oxford shoes. The figure at right wears wire-rimmed spectacles and carries a curved-handle walking stick, while gesturing toward the mustachioed man at left, who holds his own cane at his side. The drawn caption below the figures reads "On The Boardwalk" in quotation marks.

Boardwalk souvenir photography studios were a fixture of Atlantic City's resort economy from the 1890s onward, offering visitors novelty portraits and caricature cards as keepsakes. Foto Dittrich operated at a prime Boardwalk address and produced cards of this type for the tourist trade.

The reverse is printed as an Atlantic City Souvenir postcard with the Foto Dittrich imprint and a penciled cursive inscription in the message area. The notation "Colez Co" appears in ink along the right margin.

Available payment options

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

All SHIPPING IS FREE for purchases above $500, buyers to pay insurance at $2 per $100.