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 459

Sixth Plate Daguerreotype, Unidentified Infant, Anson, NYC

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
An unidentified infant seated in a turned-spindle child's chair fills this sixth plate daguerreotype, made by Rufus P. Anson at his Broadway gallery in New York City. The applied tinting is notable: the cheeks carry a warm flesh tone, the sleeve trim shows distinct red accents, and the eyes are enhanced with blue, a color choice visible in close examination. The date range of 1852 to 1853 is supported by the address imprint reading 589 Broadway, which corresponds to Anson's documented occupancy of that location.

The child wears a white pintucked short dress with short puffed sleeves trimmed in red ribbon, bare arms, dark stockings, and flat-soled dark shoes. Both hands grip the chair arms, and the child faces the camera directly with a wide, serious gaze and short dark curled hair.

Rufus P. Anson was among the most prominent daguerreotypists in antebellum New York, operating on Broadway from 1851 through the early 1860s and known for producing finely tinted portraits of children and adults from a fashionable midtown address. The leather case is embossed on both covers with a beehive-and-wreath motif; the interior pad is red velvet with an embossed studio imprint.

The mat is stamped "ANSON" at lower left and "589 BROAD[WAY]" with the number "589" at lower right. The red velvet pad bears an embossed imprint consistent with Anson's Broadway studio.

Property of a Palmer, Massachusetts gentleman.

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