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 538

Stereoview, African American Wood Seller, Launey and Goebel, Savannah GA

Estimate: $200 - $300
Starting Bid
$100

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 African American wood seller pauses beside a goat-drawn cart loaded with firewood in this albumen stereoview published by Launey and Goebel of Savannah, Georgia, catalogued as number 158 in their series. A woman wearing a wrapped head cloth and dark jacket stands at the left, her hand resting near one of the two black-and-white goats harnessed to the wooden cart. A second figure, a man in a dark jacket and low-brimmed hat, stands at the right of the cart facing her. Bare-limbed trees frame the scene, and a whitewashed wood-plank building with a gabled dormer occupies the background.

The goat cart is constructed of rough-hewn timber with large spoked wheels, and the bed is piled with cut and bundled wood. The unpaved ground, open sky, and modest outbuildings suggest a working quarter or back-street location within or near Savannah.

Launey and Goebel operated at 141 and 143 Broughton Street in Savannah, succeeding O. P. Havens, and advertised themselves as publishers of the largest collection of Southern views in the United States. This view documents post-Civil War street commerce in the Deep South.

The reverse is printed in pink with the full Launey and Goebel imprint. A handwritten notation at the top reads "No. 158 Wood Seller."

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