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 505

Thermoplastic Oval Cases, Three Men, Daguerreotype and Tintypes

Estimate: $50 - $100
Starting Bid
$25

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
Three miniature portraits of unidentified men are housed in oval thermoplastic cases, each featuring deeply embossed floral and scrollwork decoration on both the cover and base. The lot comprises one daguerreotype and two ninth-plate tintypes, the daguerreotype presenting an elderly bearded man set within a gilt-bordered mat and crimson silk lining, the two tintypes showing younger men in dark coats and cravats, each seated in similarly appointed cases with red velvet linings embossed with foliate medallion patterns. All three cases are round in profile with visible brass hinge hardware and press-fit closures rather than conventional clasps.

The elderly subject in the daguerreotype wears a full white beard, parted white hair, and a dark coat with a white shirt visible at the collar, his gaze directed slightly off-axis. The two tintype subjects are younger men: one with dark swept-back hair and side-whiskers wearing a dark coat and white waistcoat, the other clean-shaven with light hair and a similar dark coat and open collar.

Round thermoplastic portrait cases of this form were produced in the United States from the mid-1850s onward as a compact, durable alternative to standard rectangular leather cases, and were particularly favored for miniature keepsake portraits carried on the person.

The lot consists of one daguerreotype (ninth-plate scale), one ninth-plate tintype, and one sixteenth-plate tintype, all in oval thermoplastic cases. No photographer's imprint is visible on any example.

Property of a Palmer, Massachusetts gentleman.

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