Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

June 2026 Vernacular Photo History Auction

Wed, Jun 24, 2026 11:00AM EDT
Lot 357

Tintype, Horse-Drawn Sleds with Hay, Unidentified Town

Estimate: $200 - $300

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 sixth-plate tintype presents an outdoor working scene with a man seated atop a loaded sled drawn by a dark horse, positioned in front of two-story frame buildings on what appears to be a town street. The image is housed in its original half leather case fitted with an embossed brass mat and oval aperture, consistent with production from the 1860s through 1870s. No photographer's imprint is visible on the case or mount.

The driver wears a dark coat and brimmed hat and holds the reins from an elevated seat position above the sled runners. A second figure and at least two additional horses are visible in the middle distance, suggesting a second team or working rig alongside the first. The buildings behind the scene include a clapboard-sided structure with a chimney and a two-over-two window arrangement visible on one facade.

Horse-drawn sleds were a primary means of hauling heavy loads such as hay and lumber during winter months throughout rural and small-town America, and outdoor working scenes of this kind are comparatively scarce in tintype format, as most were produced in studio settings. The detail of multiple teams and the commercial streetscape adds particular documentary value to this example.

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