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 534

Stereoview, Temple Block Salt Lake City, C. R. Savage

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
A elevated view of Temple Block in Salt Lake City anchors this albumen stereoview, published by Charles R. Savage as part of his "Views of the Great West, from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean" Utah Series. The image captures the block during an active construction phase, dating it most plausibly to the early 1870s, when both the Salt Lake Temple and the Tabernacle were simultaneously in progress. The C. R. Savage Art Gallery storefront is clearly legible at lower left, placing the vantage point near South Temple Street.

The completed domed roof of the Tabernacle dominates the midground, its low elliptical profile fully enclosed, while the Temple walls behind it rise only a few stories with scaffolding and construction poles still in place. A horse-drawn carriage moves along the unpaved foreground road, bare-limbed trees line the street, and Gothic Revival spires of a church building are visible at the left horizon.

Charles Roscoe Savage (1832–1909) was one of the foremost photographers of the American West and a prominent figure in Salt Lake City's cultural life. His stereoview series documenting Utah Territory remains a primary visual record of the region's settlement era and the construction of Temple Square.

The reverse imprint reads: "Views of the Great West, from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean, taken by C. R. Savage, Salt Lake City, Utah. Utah Series. General view of Temple Block, S. L. City."

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