Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
Antique CDV Gust. Hallin Young Gorgeous Lady in High Collar Dress Malmo Sweden
Antique CDV D. E. Penfield Cute Young Boy in Suit Seated Studio Unmarked
Antique CDV Geo. A. Dean Old Lady in Lace Collar Dress Douglas Isle Of Man
Antique CDV Young Handsome Man in Suit With Patterned Vest Bow Tie Unmarked
Antique CDV H. B. Hamor Old Lady in Lace Dress Brooch Lawrence Massachusetts
Antique CDV J. G. Vail Young Handsome Man in Suit Bowtie Geneva New York
Antique CDV Young Handsome Man in Suit With Cravat Wavy Hair Portrait Unmarked
Antique CDV Mcmahan & Ireland Cute Children Girl And Toddler Danville PA
Antique CDV J. K. Patch Handsome Young Man in Suit Shelburne Falls Massachusetts
Antique CDV S. Towle Handsome Young Man Sideburns Suit Lowell Massachusetts
Antique CDV C. W. Curtis Handsome Man in Suit Studio Portrait Lewiston Maine
Antique CDV Frank A. Orr Gorgeous Young Lady Ringlet Curls Chicago Illinois
Antique CDV Manchester Bros. Handsome Young Boy in Suit Providence Rhode Island
Antique CDV Werner Lindhe Young Gorgeous Lady in Dress Lidkoping Skara Sweden
Antique CDV J. K. Patch Handsome Young Man in Suit Shelburne Falls Mass.
Antique CDV Gilchrest Cute Young Boy Plaid & Lace Collar Lowell Massachusetts
Antique CDV Young Lady Gorgeous Long Curly Hair Jewelry Lace Dress Unmarked
Antique CDV Tilton Cute Young Girl in Dress With Lace Collar Victorian Unmarked
Antique CDV W. C. Tuttle Gorgeous Lady Braided Hair Floral Bow Belfast Maine
Antique CDV Gill's City Gallery Gorgeous Young Lady in Dress Lancaster PA
Antique CDV Wykes Gorgeous Old Lady in Dress Lace Collar Grand Rapids Michigan
Antique CDV Hugo Schroeder Gorgeous Lady Dress Elaborate Hair Milwaukee
Antique CDV Hugo Broich & CO. Cute Baby Girl in White Dress Milwaukee Wisconsin
Antique CDV P. L. Stewart Cute Young Girl in Striped Dress Oneida New York
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.
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