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 610

RPPC, Sunshine Society Parade Float, Decorated Mule Cart

Estimate: $100 - $200
Starting Bid
$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
Two women dressed in white sit aboard a flower-covered two-wheel cart pulled by a white mule, photographed as a real photo postcard likely dating to the early twentieth century based on the AZO stamp box format visible on the reverse. A large banner draped over the mule reads "Sunshine Society" with a sunburst emblem and the number "12-A" on a smaller placard below, identifying this as a numbered entry in a community parade or pageant. No photographer's imprint appears on the reverse.

The cart's wheels, body, and axle are wrapped in garlands of small flowers or greenery, and a fringed parasol decorated with floral trim is mounted above the passengers. One woman wears a wide-brimmed straw boater with a dark band, while the other wears a softer hat; both are dressed in light-colored summer blouses and skirts. A clapboard house with shuttered windows and a covered porch is visible in the background.

The Sunshine Society was a widely active charitable and social organization of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with chapters throughout the United States engaged in community service and civic festivities, making parade participation a common activity for member groups. The float's elaborate decoration and numbered entry designation suggest an organized civic event with multiple competing or participating entries.

The reverse bears a standard undivided-style AZO stamp box, unused, with no address, message, or identifying inscription. A penciled price notation of "260" appears in the upper right corner.

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