Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
Antique CDV J. J. Mcfadden Husband And Wife Romantic Couple Millersburg Ohio
Antique CDV N. Jenks Gorgeous Lady Braided Bun Hair Earring Boonville New York
Antique CDV Harris Bros. Young Handsome Man in Suit Tyrone Pennsylvania
Antique CDV Stuber's Cute Baby in White Scalloped Dress Louisville Kentucky
Antique CDV Gorgeous Lady in Dark Dress Ornate Ruffled Collar Brooch Unmarked
Antique CDV Gorgeous Lady in Ornate Fringed Collar & Hat Studio Unmarked
Antique CDV Victorian Gorgeous Lady Dark Dress Lace Collar Flower Hair Unmarked
Antique CDV Gorgeous Lady in Ruffled Victorian Dress Standing By Chair Unmarked
Antique CDV R. A. Bonine Cute Baby in White Dress Hollidaysburg Pennsylvania
Antique CDV G. H. Irish Gorgeous Lady in Buttoned Dress Adrian Michigan
Antique CDV Gorgeous Lady in Buttoned Dress With Lace Collar Brooch Unmarked
Antique CDV E. J. Covey Husband And Wife Romantic Couple Bearded Man Afton Iowa
Antique CDV Gorgeous Young Lady Dark Dress Large Fringed Bow Earrings Unmarked
Antique CDV Lewis Gorgeous Young Lady Lace Collar Dress Ann Arbor Michigan
Antique CDV L.W. Bodker Lady in Dark Dress With Lace Collar Ionia Michigan
Antique CDV City Of London Photographic CO Husband Wife Couple London England
Antique CDV J. Inglis Cute Baby in White Dress Montreal Canada Studio Portrait
Antique CDV Husband And Wife Romantic Couple Bearded Man Striped Dress Unmarked
Antique CDV Clark & Schnieber Young Lady in Dress Newark New Jersey
Antique CDV R. Hall Gorgeous Lady in Ornate Victorian Lace Collar Wapakoneta OH
Antique CDV Lark & Schnieber Gorgeous Young Lady in Dress Newark New Jersey
Antique CDV H. Schumacher Gorgeous Lady in Victorian Bustle Dress Newark
Antique CDV Old Lady in Victorian Dress Seated With Fringed Stool Unmarked
Antique CDV Gorgeous Young Lady Ringlet Curls Dark Dress White Collar Unmarked
The carte de visite (CDV) is a small albumen photograph mounted on a stiff card the size of a calling card. First proposed by Louis Dodero in 1851 and patented in France by André Disdéri in 1854, CDVs became a worldwide craze after Disdéri photographed Emperor Napoleon III in 1859 — and stayed in production into the 1920s, collected and pasted into family albums by the millions.
HistoryOrigin & era
CDVs are produced from a glass-plate negative printed onto thin albumen paper, then trimmed and pasted to a card mount. Studios printed them by the dozen; the same sitter could order several copies of the same exposure to hand out. The format was largely displaced by the larger cabinet card from the 1880s onward, though CDV-sized prints continued to be made by smaller studios and itinerant photographers into the 1920s.
IdentificationHow to spot a CDV
- Card mount roughly 2½ × 4 inches.
- Albumen print — slight surface gloss, often warm brown or sepia tones.
- Studio imprint usually on the back (photographer + city).
- Square-cornered mounts are earlier (c. 1860s); rounded corners and decorated backs come in later.
- Tax revenue stamps on the back date it to 1864–1866 (U.S. Civil War tax).
CDV sizes
CDVs are largely standardized — the mount size barely varies — but the photo on the mount and the mount stock evolved over time.
| Format | Inches | Millimeters | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard CDV mount | 2½ × 4 in | 64 × 100 mm | Universal mount size from the 1860s on. |
| Albumen print on mount | ≈ 2⅛ × 3½ in | ≈ 54 × 89 mm | Photo trimmed to fit the mount with a small border. |
| Victoria (mini-CDV) | 3¼ × 5 in | 83 × 127 mm | Brief 1870s variant — slightly larger than standard. |
Common questions
What is a CDV photograph?
A carte de visite (CDV) is a small albumen photograph mounted on a card the size of a calling card — roughly 2½ × 4 inches. The format was first proposed by Louis Dodero in 1851 and patented in France by André Disdéri in 1854. CDVs were the dominant portrait format from the early 1860s through the 1870s and continued to be made into the 1920s.
How can I tell if a CDV is from the Civil War era?
A revenue tax stamp on the back dates a CDV to between August 1864 and August 1866 — the only window when the U.S. taxed photographs. Square corners, plain mounts, and two-line photographer imprints also point to the 1860s; rounded corners and elaborate decorated backs are 1870s and later.
How much is an antique CDV worth?
Common 1870s studio portraits typically run $5–$25, while Civil War soldier images, identified subjects, occupational portraits, and outdoor scenes can run from $75 into the thousands. Condition, identification, and historical interest of the sitter drive value far more than age alone.
Are CDVs and cabinet cards the same thing?
No — they share the albumen process but cabinet cards are larger (about 4¼ × 6½ inches on heavier card stock) and came into vogue in the late 1860s. CDVs and cabinet cards coexisted from roughly 1866 into the 1890s before cabinets took over the standard portrait market.
Have CDVs to sell?
We buy carte de visite singly or by the lot. Send a few photos and we'll have an offer back in 24–48 hours.
Get an offer →