Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
Antique CDV William Moffatt William Stanley Bearded Man Seated Manchester UK
Antique CDV 1860s J Major Bearded Man Standing Suit London UK Portrait
Antique CDV 1870 H Watson Portly Man Top Hat Table West Bromwich UK
Antique CDV Fredk C Bird Victorian Woman Silk Lace Dress Chair Bath UK
Antique CDV Unmarked
Antique CDV Jas Howie Junr Woman Profile Portrait Edinburgh Scotland
Antique CDV Sarony Clergyman Priest Collar Beard Scarborough UK
Antique CDV A Whitla Young Woman Curly Hair Lace Collar Manchester UK
Antique CDV 1870s J Monk Family Portrait Baby Mother Father Preston UK
Antique CDV 1860s David Gay Man Leaning On Draped Pedestal London UK
Antique CDV 1880s W & J Stuart Young Woman Braided Hair Portrait London UK
Antique CDV 1880s Chas Whitehouse Bearded Man Bowler Hat Birmingham UK
Antique CDV 1860s Young Man Standing Holding Top Hat Carved Chair Portrait
Antique CDV R F Barnes Boy Standing By Chair New Cross London UK
Antique CDV Dufresne Elegant Woman Ruffled Collar Fur Hat Toronto Canada
Antique CDV S. Busby Cox Young Woman High Collar Dress Peterborough UK
Antique CDV Jas Rugg Boy in Glengarry Hat Sitting By Table Newport Iow
Antique CDV 1860s Rosa Ellis Seated Woman Crinoline Dress Curtain Backdrop
Antique CDV 1870s Woman Standing With Umbrella Chair And Curtain Backdrop
Antique CDV 1870s Tulley Joseph Jobon Bearded Man Frock Coat Sheffield UK
Antique CDV 1870s Bearded Man Standing Suit Hands in Pockets Table Prop
Antique CDV 1880s R Jones Woman Lace Cap Bustle Dress Leominster UK
Antique CDV Rw Gibbs & CO Dapper Man Bowler Hat Fur Throw Middlesbrough UK
Antique CDV Deneulain & Blake Woman Lace Bonnet Bow Collar London UK
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 →