Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

Winter Photographic History Auction 2026

Sat, Jan 31, 2026 01:00PM EST
  2026-01-31 13:00:00 2026-01-31 13:00:00 America/New_York Michael Lehr Michael Lehr : Winter Photographic History Auction 2026 https://auction.michaellehrantiques.com/auctions/michael-lehr-antiques/winter-photographic-history-auction-2026-21839
We are pleased to present our Winter Photography Auction, opening January 31 at 1:00 PM Eastern, featuring approximately 270 individual lots spanning the full breadth of 19th- and early 20th-century photography. The sale brings together landmark historical images, rare early photographic processes, and a deep selection of vernacular material created outside the conventions of formal studio portraiture. Collectively, these works offer a direct, unfiltered record of American life, identity, conflict, labor, and memory during photography’s formative century.
Michael Lehr Antiques info@michaellehrantiques.com
Lot 253

Tintype Cowboy Seated on Bull with Horse Nearby

Estimate: $100 - $200
Starting Bid
$50

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $10
$200 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
CDV-format tintype depicting a cowboy seated astride a bull in an outdoor farmyard or rural setting. The subject wears work clothing and a brimmed cap and sits calmly on the animal’s back, one leg bent at the knee. A saddled or harnessed horse stands nearby, slightly behind and to the right, reinforcing the agricultural context. In the background are a wooden fence, mature trees, and a farmhouse or outbuilding partially visible through the foliage.

The image was made outdoors in natural light and likely dates to the late nineteenth century, based on clothing, fencing style, and the informal vernacular pose. The photograph appears to document a moment of rural life or livestock handling rather than a formal studio composition, with the unusual subject of a man riding a bull lending the image a distinctly vernacular character.

The photograph is a tintype with clipped corners. No photographer’s imprint, caption, or identifying text is visible on the plate.

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