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 309

Real Photo Postcard, Two Men With Harley-Davidson Motorcycle

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
Two unidentified young men pose outdoors with an early Harley-Davidson motorcycle in this real photo postcard, almost certainly dating to the early teens of the twentieth century based on the motorcycle's design. The "Harley-Davidson" name is legibly lettered on the fuel tank in period script, and the single-cylinder engine configuration, springer front fork, leather sprung saddle, and bicycle-style spoked wheels all point to a machine from roughly 1910 to 1914. No photographer's imprint appears on the reverse.

The man at left wears a flat cap and a button-front work jacket, resting one hand on the rear of the saddle, while the man at right is dressed in a dark sack coat and a bowler hat, gripping the handlebars with both hands. Both subjects face the camera with broad, confident smiles, and bare orchard trees and a split-rail fence line the open field behind them.

Early Harley-Davidson motorcycles of this period were produced in small numbers at the Milwaukee factory founded in 1903, and surviving period photographs documenting specific models remain genuinely scarce and collectible among both motorcycle historians and photography collectors. The undivided-back layout of the reverse is consistent with the postcard's estimated date range.

The reverse is unused, with no correspondence, address, or ink notations present.

From the collection of James Lee Soffer

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