Hindman's summer American Historical Ephemera and Photography Auction on June 15 and 16 saw strong bidding for early photographs and material surrounding America's westward expansion. A half-plate daguerreotype of three gold miners realized $37,800, five times its estimate. The image of the three men epitomizes the gold rush itself, as their somewhat haggard appearance is offset by supremely resolute expressions behind their lit cigars."From early photography to manuscript archives, our team was excited to bring such a wide range of important historic memorabilia to auction. The strong prices achieved, particularly for historic images, demonstrate Hindman's role as a market leader in the category of early photography," stated Katie Horstman of Hindman Auctions. Overall, the auction realized $913,752, and the majority of lots sold within or above the high estimates.Westward Expansion and Early PhotographyA quarter-plate daguerreotype thought to perhaps be the earliest known photograph of Fort Mackinac, Mich., nearly tripled its high estimate, selling for $31,500. Mackinac Island sits at a strategic choke point on the straits separating Lakes Michigan and Huron and thus was the location of French, British, and eventually American forts in the late 1700s and 1800s. The image offered in the auction provides a rare glimpse of the island as an active military outpost before it was declared the nation's second National Park in 1875.Civil War and Abraham Lincoln PhotographsA quarter-plate tintype of noted Civil War and Union Pacific Railroad photographer Andrew Joseph Russell (1830-1902) achieved $28,350. Russell's evocative images of the vast military transport and logistics system of the Union Army contrasted with the battlefield views of Brady, O'Sullivan, and Gardner. They provided an unparalleled record of the Union war effort. This image, among other Russell photographs sold in this auction, was recently discovered in Illinois and purportedly descended in Russell's family.Civil War and Abraham Lincoln-related highlights also included a large-format photograph of Lincoln's second inauguration, which sold for $18,900. A photograph of Lincoln on the Antietam battlefield in October 1862 sold for $12,600.Additionally, Ernest Hemingway's Rolleiflex MX camera sold for $10,080. A "Lincoln and Hamlin" parade flag, produced for the 1860 election, sold for $25,200, and a manuscript orderly book chronicling the daily march of Col. Henry Bouquet's force of British, Pennsylvania and Virginia volunteers from August to November 1764 realized $20,160.For more information, visit www.hindmanauctions.com.