Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
Antique CDV Broadbent & Taylor Cute Young Girl Large Hair Bow Philadelphia Pa
Antique CDV Hope Handsome Young Man Curly Hair In Suit New York New York
Antique CDV T. Harveston Old Lady Margaret Victorian Dress Ballymena Ireland
Antique CDV Ph. Zorn Young Gorgeous Lady In Dress Lace Collar Philadelphia Pa
Antique CDV Handsome Bearded Man in Suit with Bow Tie Victorian Unmarked
Antique CDV Gorgeous Young Lady In Victorian Dress Large White Cuffs Unmarked
Antique CDV Mahan & Keller Cute Baby In White Dress Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Antique CDV Victorian Old Lady In Dark Dress Lace Collar Floral Bonnet Unmarked
Antique CDV N. Smith Handsome Man In Suit With Sideburns Plano Sandwich Illinois
Antique CDV Geo. W. Conkey Handsome Young Man In Suit Glens Falls New York
Antique CDV W. J. Newell Gorgeous Lady In Dress Ringlets Dover New Hampshire
Antique CDV Emile Tourtin Cute Young Girl In Long Buttoned Coat Rouen France
Antique CDV Gilbert & Bacon Cute Toddler Girl Katie Dolan Philadelphia Pa
Antique CDV D. Scidmore Handsome Young Boy In Suit Gloversville New York
Antique CDV A. Borderia Young Gorgeous Lady In Dress With Bow Reims France
Antique CDV Young Cute Girl in Striped Trim Dress Victorian Studio Unmarked
Antique CDV Herschel B. Tucker Young Handsome Man In Suit Ashland Massachusetts
Antique CDV W. H. Harry Young Gorgeous Lady Elaborate Lace Collar Wooster Ohio
Antique CDV E. J. Christman Young Handsome Man Polka Dot Bowtie Oelwein Iowa
Antique CDV D. Scidmore Cute Baby In Long White Dress Gloversville New York
Antique CDV Hills & Saunders Young Handsome Man With Mustache Eton England
Antique CDV D. Scidmore Cute Baby In White Gown Dress Gloversville New York
Antique CDV E. Codding Old Lady In Ruffled Dress With Bow Knoxville Illinois
Antique CDV A. Lefevre Gorgeous Young Lady In Striped Dress Rodez France
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 →