Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
Antique CDV F. Gutekunst Old Handsome Man in Suit Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Antique CDV Old Distinguished Bearded Man in Suit Seated Portrait Unmarked
Antique CDV Smith Handsome Young Man in Suit With Tie Pin Cooperstown New York
Antique CDV F. Gutekunst Handsome Old Bearded Man in Suit Philadelphia PA
Antique CDV French Old Bearded Man in Suit Watch Chain Binghamton New York
Antique CDV Albert Grundner Husband And Wife Romantic Couple Berlin Germany
Antique CDV Alva Pearsall Handsome Old Bearded Man in Suit Brooklyn New York
Antique CDV H.W. Tibbals Handsome Bearded Man in Suit Painesville Ohio
Antique CDV Howard Husband And Wife Romantic Couple Man Mustache Paola Kansas
Antique CDV Old Lady in Dress With Brooch Ornate Frame Unmarked
Antique CDV Stoutenburgh & Rose Handsome Bearded Man Newark New Jersey
Antique CDV Handsome Young Man With Mustache in Suit Sitting Portrait Unmarked
Antique CDV J.H. Kent Handsome Man With Mustache in Suit Rochester New York
Antique CDV Victorian Handsome Man Mustache in Suit Vest Studio Unmarked
Antique CDV C. A. Sweet Handsome Bearded Man in Suit Wellsboro Pennsylvania
Antique CDV Wm. H. Swartz Young Handsome Man Mustache Holding Hat Reading PA
Antique CDV Powelson Old Handsome Man in Suit Bow Tie Rochester Buffalo NY
Antique CDV New York Art Gallery Handsome Man With Mustache in Suit Richmond VA
Antique CDV J.R. Laughlin Handsome Old Bearded Man in Suit West Philadelphia PA
Antique CDV Wm. S. Pendleton Handsome Old Bearded Man Charles H. Read New York
Antique CDV Schreiber & Son Handsome Old Bearded Man in Suit Philadelphia PA
Antique CDV Chas. A. Smith Handsome Man With Mustache Plaid Suit Newton
Antique CDV T.W. Searby Gorgeous Lady Rebecca F. Dodd Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Antique CDV Handsome Old Bearded Man in Suit Seated Studio Portrait 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.
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