Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
Antique CDV Porter Handsome Old Bearded Man Profile Suit Cincinnati Ohio
Antique CDV E.M. Van Aken Handsome Man With Sideburns in Suit Lowville New York
Antique CDV G. W. Squiers Handsome Bearded Man in Suit Rochester New York
Antique CDV C. C. Tolles Young Handsome Man Mustache Sideburns Ithaca New York
Antique CDV J. Lee Knight Handsome Man With Mustache in Suit Topeka Kansas
Antique CDV W. L. Sutton Handsome Bearded Man in Suit Hornellsville New York
Antique CDV B. Frank. Saylor & CO. Handsome Bearded Man Lancaster Pennsylvania
Antique CDV Old Handsome Man in Suit With Wild Hair Studio Portrait Unmarked
Antique CDV Wm. Nims Handsome Young Man Robert Male Suit Fort Edward New York
Antique CDV C.K. Bill Old Lady in Dress With Brooch & Bonnet New York New York
Antique CDV Herbert & Son Gorgeous Young Lady Eva Smith Maryville Missouri
Antique CDV Rudolph Uhlman Handsome Bearded Man H. Reed St. Joseph Missouri
Antique CDV Geo. M. Rice Handsome Man With Mustache & Goatee Worcester
Antique CDV J.M. Simington Young Gorgeous Lady in Dress Memphis Missouri
Antique CDV Handsome Bearded Man in Suit Bowtie Victorian Portrait Unmarked
Antique CDV A. Wurts Tice Handsome Bearded Man in Suit Ellenville New York
Antique CDV Rockwood Handsome Man With Mustache Nelson L. Andrews New York NY
Antique CDV Allen & Horton Cute Young Girl in White Dress Boston Massachusetts
Antique CDV J. Hodges Handsome Bearded Man in Suit Syracuse New York
Antique CDV Harters Handsome Bearded Man in Suit Patterned Vest Auburn New York
Antique CDV Leon Van Loo Young Handsome Man in Suit & Bow Tie Cincinnati Ohio
Antique CDV Patton & Lee Handsome Bearded Man Mustache Reading Pennsylvania
Antique CDV Miller Handsome Young Man IN Suit Flower Charlestown Massachusetts
Antique CDV D. O. Furnald Old Handsome Bearded Man IN Suit Manchester NH
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 →