Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

Fall Photographic History Auction, 2025

Sat, Sep 6, 2025 01:00PM EDT
  2025-09-06 13:00:00 2025-09-06 13:00:00 America/New_York Michael Lehr Michael Lehr : Fall Photographic History Auction, 2025 https://auction.michaellehrantiques.com/auctions/michael-lehr-antiques/fall-photographic-history-auction-2025-20189
We are pleased to announce our next auction, featuring approximately 200 individual lots drawn from a diverse and compelling range of 19th- and early 20th-century photography. This sale focuses on vernacular images, photographs created not as formal studio portraits or elite commissions, but as direct, unscripted records of lived experience. These are objects made by and for everyday people, preserving moments of intimacy, labor, travel, performance, identity, and loss.
Michael Lehr Antiques info@michaellehrantiques.com
Lot 209

Sixth Plate Daguerreotype of Child in Handmade Wooden Case

Estimate: $200 - $300
Starting Bid
$100

Bid Increments

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Sixth plate daguerreotype portrait of a young child outfitted in a plaid cape and brimmed hat, posed formally in full-length studio view. The subject's steady gaze and finely arranged garments suggest a carefully staged sitting typical of mid-19th century portrait conventions. The composition is framed with an oval brass mat set into a standard brass preserver.

What sets this example apart is the extraordinary handmade wooden case, carved in the form of a miniature book. The case features hand-tooled faux binding and pages, with a recessed velvet panel inset on the cover surrounding a small floral decoration. The effort and craftsmanship invested in the case reflect a deeply personal or commemorative intent. Such nonstandard housing is rarely encountered and speaks to the significance of the image to its original owner.

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