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 578

Stereoview, Clark Foss and His Geyser Team, Sonoma County

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
Clark Foss, the celebrated stage driver of the Geysers Road in Sonoma County, California, is depicted at the reins of a four-horse team in this albumen stereoview published by Thomas Houseworth and Co. of San Francisco as catalog number 1187 in their Geyser Road Views series. The card carries an ink inscription dating it to July 1870, placing it among the earliest issues of this well-documented series. Houseworth received a Bronze Medal at the Paris International Exhibition of 1867 for the superiority of their stereoscopic and mammoth photographic views of Pacific Coast scenery.

Foss sits atop an open carriage on a dusty rural road, wearing a light-colored hat and dark coat, holding the reins over four horses, two dark and one notably light-faced, all harnessed in tandem. Leafy trees fill the background against a broad open sky, and dry grass lines the road's edge in the foreground.

Clark Foss was a legendary figure on the Geysers Road, renowned throughout Northern California for his skill handling six-horse teams on the winding route from Cloverdale to the Geysers resort in Sonoma County, and was widely celebrated by tourists and journalists of the era.

The reverse mount is pink with a printed advertisement noting the Paris International Exhibition Bronze Medal award and listing Houseworth's address at 317 and 319 Montgomery Street, San Francisco. The front mount reads "Geyser Road Views" vertically on the left border and "Thomas Houseworth and Co., San Francisco" on the right. The catalog title reads: "1187. Clark Foss and his Geyser Team, Sonoma County, Cal."

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