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 537

Stereoview, Polygamist Mormon Family with 2 Wives and 9 Children, Utah

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 large polygamist family group fills the frame of this albumen stereoview, published under the "Utah" series by Salt Lake City photographer Charles William Carter and dateable to circa 1870. The image is drawn from Carter's documented catalog of stereoscopic and album views and represents a deliberate effort to document plural marriage in territorial Utah for a national audience. Carter was one of the most prolific photographers working in Utah Territory during this period, producing views of mining camps, landscapes, and Mormon domestic life for wide commercial distribution.

A man seated at center is flanked by two women, one holding an infant in a tiered ruffle skirt, the other cradling a second infant in white dress; seven additional children of varying ages surround the adults in a tightly arranged studio composition. The women wear fashionable day dresses with horizontal ruffle trim at the hem, and a painted studio backdrop with latticed windows and a tall case clock is visible behind the group. The children range from toddlers to early adolescents, all formally dressed.

The reverse bears a printed Carter catalog insert listing Utah series views dated 1870, along with handwritten annotations reading "Moman Family, 2 wives, 9 childs" and "Farmer living 12 miles from Salt Lake, Grantsville family."

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