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 460

Sixth Plate Daguerreotype, Young Woman with Floral Urn, Hoffman

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 young woman seated before a decorative urn overflowing with roses and mixed foliage anchors this sixth plate daguerreotype, produced by Edward B. Hoffman of Cleveland, Ohio, active on Superior Street at Public Square circa 1855 to 1856. The image is housed in a leather case with an embossed floral and scrollwork exterior, and the interior mat is gilt with a shaped aperture framing the subject at three-quarter length.

She wears a dark dress with a distinctive lace-up corset panel running the full length of the bodice, a lace collar at the neck, and a plaid or striped bow at the throat. Her dark hair is parted at center and drawn back close to the head, and her hands rest in her lap, one partially gloved. The painted ceramic urn beside her is decorated with figural motifs and supports an elaborate arrangement of open roses and leafy stems.

Hoffman operated rooms at the Public Square in Cleveland by October 1855 and appeared on Superior Street in city listings through 1856, placing this portrait squarely within that brief but active window of his practice. The interior pad of the case bears an embossed maker's stamp, partially legible, reading "HOFFMAN" within an oval surround.

Property of a Palmer, Massachusetts gentleman.

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