Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

June 2026 Vernacular Photo History Auction

Wed, Jun 24, 2026 11:00AM EDT
  2026-06-24 11:00:00 2026-06-24 11:00:00 America/New_York Michael Lehr Michael Lehr : June 2026 Vernacular Photo History Auction https://auction.michaellehrantiques.com/auctions/michael-lehr-antiques/june-2026-vernacular-photo-history-auction-23574
Our June 2026 auction presents a focused and exceptional selection of historical photographs spanning the 1840s through the early twentieth century, with unusual depth in named subjects, rare formats, and documented provenance anchored by strong vernacular material that rewards close looking.
Michael Lehr Antiques info@michaellehrantiques.com
Lot 487

Stereoviews, Figures de Marionettes, Complete Set of Ten, Belgium

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 $5,000
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
$50,000 $5,000
A complete numbered set of ten stereoview cards titled "Figures de Marionettes / Poppenkastfiguren," Serie I, Reeks I, published by Etablissements G.V.B. / Vasta with the RVS trademark, presented in the original paper sleeve carrier. The set is trilingual throughout, providing captions in French, Dutch, and English, and the production style, typography, and card format are consistent with Belgian commercial stereo publishing of the 1930s. Each card measures approximately two by four inches and carries its series number, descriptive text, and registered trademark notices on the reverse.

Eight of the ten cards document puppet theater scenes with elaborately painted stage sets: costumed marionette figures on strings appear against backdrops depicting arched interiors, painted woodland settings, and village exteriors, with visible strings and rigging overhead confirming live performance documentation. One scene includes a rearing horse marionette with visible control strings, another shows a figure in a donkey-figure interaction against an outdoor landscape backdrop, and a third depicts a seated interior banquet grouping. Two cards in the set break from the stage scenes to present close-up portrait views of individual puppet heads: one a bearded elder figure with a deeply carved face and coarse textile costume, the other a smaller character figure with a patterned vest, both suspended by visible strings against a plain ground. The original paper sleeve carries the slot format designed to hold the cards in sequence.

The Belgian puppet theater tradition was among the most vigorous in Europe, with Brussels alone sustaining dozens of marionette theaters through the nineteenth century, and the interwar period saw the documentation and commercialization of that heritage through sets such as this one. The trilingual publication format targeting French, Dutch, and English-speaking audiences reflects the international market for Belgian cultural tourism ephemera of the period.

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