Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

June 2026 Vernacular Photo History Auction

Wed, Jun 24, 2026 11:00AM EDT
Lot 222

RPPC, Double Exposure Self-Portrait Gag, Springfield, Missouri

Estimate: $100 - $200

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
A single unidentified man appears twice in the same composition in this real photo postcard double exposure self-portrait dated 1913 and inscribed "Springfield, Mo." in a period hand on the reverse. The subject wears the same flat cap and plaid suit in both exposures, and the two figures interact convincingly in a comic pose that required careful planning to execute outdoors in natural light. No photographer's imprint appears on the reverse.

The figure at left leans forward gripping the rails of a low wooden sled or cart, appearing to push it across a grass lawn strewn with fallen autumn leaves, while his second self reclines on the sled with legs extended and crossed at the ankle, grinning broadly at the camera. A wood frame house with a latticed porch is visible behind the left figure, and a large tree trunk frames the right side of the composition with additional residential buildings in the distance. The outdoor setting and natural lighting make the seamless blending of the two exposures a technically accomplished result.

Outdoor double exposure self-portraits of this type required the photographer to mask successive portions of the negative, hold the camera perfectly still between exposures, and carefully position the subject to avoid overlapping the two figures. The reverse bears a period inscription reading "Springfield, Mo. 1913" in blue ink, with penciled catalog notations at the lower edge.

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