Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
Antique CDV Gorgeous Lady in Elaborate Fringed Victorian Dress Unmarked
Antique CDV Young Gorgeous Lady in Victorian Dress Fringed Ottoman Unmarked
Antique CDV J. W. Sellars Cute Baby in Fringed Dress Portrait Bellaire Ohio
Antique CDV R. Wingfield Old Lady in Bonnet & Lace Collar Worcester England
Antique CDV Old Lady in Patterned Blouse With Large Bow & Skirt Door Unmarked
Antique CDV Old Lady in Dark Dress Seated Victorian Studio Portrait Unmarked
Antique CDV R. Banks Two Handsome Men With Mustaches in Suits Manchester England
Antique CDV M. Boak Young Gorgeous Lady in Dress Driffield England Victorian
Antique CDV Henry Spink Handsome Bearded Man Wearing Top Hat Brighton England
Antique CDV J.T. Clarke Young Handsome Man in Top Hat Stockton On Tees England
Antique CDV E. Baudoux Handsome Bearded Man in Suit Jersey United Kingdom
Antique CDV W. H. Miller Gorgeous Young Lady in Dress Carmarthen Wales
Antique CDV D. Noble Handsome Young Man Mustache Wearing Cap Oban Scotland
Antique CDV The A.P. Company Handsome Old Bearded Man in Suit Luton England
Antique CDV Bullock Bros Handsome Young Man in White Gown Royal Leamington UK
Antique CDV J. Blizard Handsome Old Bearded Man in Suit Taunton England UK
Antique CDV Benjamin Scott Old Man in Suit Holding Paper Carlisle England
Antique CDV A. Gandy Young Gorgeous Lady in Polka Dot Dress London England
Antique CDV Henri Gascon Cute Young Girl in Lace Dress Walsall West Bromwich UK
Antique CDV Th. Edge Old Lady in Beaded Dress Holding Book Preston England
Antique CDV John Burton & Sons Two Young Ladies in Dresses Leicester England
Antique CDV H. Hughes Portrait Old Lady in Lace Cap Holding Book London England
Antique CDV T. Price Young Lady Gorgeous Dress Elaborate Hat Jersey Channel Is
Antique CDV Bannister & CO Young Handsome Man in Suit Newcastle-On-Tyne England
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 →