Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

June 2026 Vernacular Photo History Auction

Wed, Jun 24, 2026 11:00AM EDT
Lot 527

Real Photo Postcard, Unidentified Midget with Cigar in Wide-Brim Hat

Estimate: $25 - $50

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
An unidentified midget poses with confident ease against a painted studio backdrop in this real photo postcard, most likely produced between 1900 and 1910 based on the standard divided-back postcard format visible on the reverse. He stands with one foot propped on a small ornate metal stool, his body turned slightly toward the camera with a direct, self-assured gaze. No photographer's imprint appears on the reverse.

The boy wears a light-colored double-breasted suit with notched lapels and cuffed trousers, paired with dark lace-up shoes and a broad-brimmed felt hat worn low on his brow. A small medal or medallion hangs from his lapel, and he holds an unlit cigar in his raised right hand. A decorative urn or pedestal prop is partially visible at the right edge of the frame.

The twisted-wire stool, painted cloudscape backdrop, and visible studio prop at the frame's edge are characteristic of early twentieth-century commercial portrait studios. The composition and the boy's deliberate pose suggest the sitting was carefully arranged, lending the image an unusually strong sense of character for a child portrait of this period.

The reverse bears a handwritten notation reading "LOCAB1" and "11/03/02." No correspondence or address is present.

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