# 170-year-old portrait sold for $882 in 2025 fetches $230,400 after man's identity is discovered

- Source: Times of India
- Published: 2026-10-24T19:29:00+00:00
- Category: World
- Original: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/in-1856-a-photographer-captured-a-man-whose-identity-was-forgotten-after-selling-in-2025-as-an-unknown-sitter-the-portrait-was-traced-to-new-yorks-first-licensed-black-lawyer-and-sold-for-230400/articleshow/135142426.cms
- Canonical: https://groundlevelnews.com/story/170-year-old-portrait-sold-for-882-in-2025-fetches-230-400-after-man-s-e7c63a/

A photograph that fetched $882 at a New York auction last year has now been identified as a portrait of George Boyer Vashon, the first licensed African American lawyer in New York State. Experts recognized its historical significance, leading Sotheby's to auction it for an astonishing $230,400, far surpassing its initial estimate. This revelation underscores the profound impact of historical conte

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