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 362

Sixth Plate Tintype, Confederate Civil War Soldier

Estimate: $500 - $700
Starting Bid
$250

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 Confederate soldier occupies the full oval frame of this sixth plate tintype, presented in a leather case with gilt-edged spine and a deeply embossed burgundy velvet pad opposite. The image dates to the Civil War era, most likely between 1861 and 1865, and carries no photographer's imprint. The subject meets the camera with a composed, direct expression characteristic of wartime portraiture made under urgent circumstances.

He wears a sack-style Confederate jacket with a vertical row of small ball buttons running from collar to waist, a standing collar, and a dark cravat knotted loosely at the throat. His dark hair is swept back from a center part, and his half-length pose reveals the jacket's relaxed drape across both shoulders. The oval brass mat is framed within an ornate gilded preserver featuring scrollwork and foliate corner reliefs.

Confederate soldier tintypes in intact period cases represent a consistently sought category of Civil War material culture, and the jacket's button configuration and collar styling align closely with documented Confederate enlisted dress of the early-to-mid war years. No photographer's imprint is visible on the case or image.

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