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 544

Stereoview, Smith's Camp, Big Cottonwood Canyon, C. R. Savage

Estimate: $100 - $200
Starting Bid
$50

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
Smith's Camp at Big Cottonwood Canyon is the named subject of this albumen stereoview, photographed by Charles R. Savage of the Pioneer Art Gallery, East Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah. Savage was among the most prolific and celebrated photographers of the American West, best known for his documentation of the transcontinental railroad and the landscapes and peoples of the Utah Territory. The card belongs to his series "Photographic Scenes in Utah, Arizona, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming Territories."

A dense stand of tall conifers dominates the upper two-thirds of the frame, their canopies filling the sky above a rustic camp visible at the treeline. Low wooden structures or shelters appear partially screened by the trees at left, while a horse-drawn wagon with a figure aboard is positioned at center-mid-ground. Low scrub and open sandy ground occupy the foreground.

Big Cottonwood Canyon, southeast of Salt Lake City, was a popular summer retreat and timber source for early Utah settlers. Savage photographed extensively throughout the canyon as part of his broader territorial documentation series, active in the late 1860s and 1870s.

The recto bears a handwritten inscription in ink reading "Smith's Camp. Big Cottonwood." The green mount verso carries the full printed series imprint for C. R. Savage, Pioneer Art Gallery, with catalog number 150 noted in ink.

Available payment options

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • Amex
  • Diners
  • Discover
  • JCB
  • Union Pay
PayPal

All SHIPPING of photographs with total purchases above $500 is FREE, buyers to pay insurance at $2 per $100.