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 384

Sixth Plate Daguerreotype, Large Unidentified Family Group

Estimate: $300 - $500
Starting Bid
$150

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 large unidentified family group of eight fills this sixth plate daguerreotype, an exceptionally ambitious composition for the format. Two adults anchor the flanks — a woman seated at left and a man seated at right — with five children ranging from toddler to adolescent arranged between and behind them in a carefully staged formation against a draped studio backdrop. The maker is unidentified and no photographer's imprint is visible.

The woman at left wears a dark dress with a ruffled lace collar and a shawl, her hands resting in her lap. The man at right is dressed in a dark coat with a loosely knotted cravat. The older girl in the back row wears a patterned bodice with a decorative front panel, while the youngest child in the foreground wears a printed short dress. The adolescent boy at center back stands in a dark jacket with an open collar.

The thermoplastic case is a deep reddish brown with a heavily molded floral and foliate pattern on all four borders, corner rosettes, and brass ring hardware on the reverse. The gilt mat frames the image within the case, and the back panel shows no inscription or label.

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