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 308

RPPC, Bobby the Educated Steer, Iowa's Championship Rodeo 1934

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
Bobby, billed as "The World's Famous Educated Steer" and owned by Mont Reger, is captured mid-leap over the hood of an open touring car during Iowa's Championship Rodeo in Sidney, Iowa, in 1934. The real photo postcard format and the AZO back stamp are consistent with early 1930s production, and the image is credited to O'Neill Photo, catalog number 32.

The longhorn steer is fully airborne above the draped hood of the convertible, all four hooves off the surface, with its massive curved horns framing the scene dramatically. A handler in a striped shirt, dark trousers, and a flat cap lunges backward to the right holding what appears to be a directing rod, while a saddled horse stands in the background left and a grandstand packed with spectators fills the far background.

The Sidney Iowa Rodeo, established in 1924, became one of the most celebrated rodeo events in the Midwest and continues today, making this 1934 action photograph a particularly early and vivid document of its history.

The recto caption reads in full: BOBBY "THE WORLDS FAMOUS EDUCATED STEER - OWNED BY MONT REGER / IOWA'S CHAMPIONSHIP RODEO - SIDNEY, IOWA - 1934." The reverse bears the printed AZO postcard back with penciled notations "56" and "D-16" in the upper right corner.

From the collection of James Lee Soffer

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.