Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
Antique CDV Jay Noble & Co. Cute Baby Girl White Dress Leavenworth KS Portrait
Antique CDV J.W. Winder & Co. Cute Young Sisters Girls Portrait Cincinnati OH
Antique CDV B.F. Hale Young Man Standing By Ornate Tufted Chair Rochester NY
Antique CDV J.R. Black Handsome Young Man Bow Tie Philadelphia Pa Portrait
Antique CDV Morgan & Brusstar Cute Little Boy Bust Vignette Philadelphia PA
Antique CDV Terry's Gallery Young Woman Plaid Bow Collar Bristol CT Portrait
Antique CDV King Victorian Lady Hannah Drinkwater Striped Bow Tie Portland
Antique CDV G.W. Squiers Handsome Young Man Seated Suit Rochester NY
Antique CDV D.O. Furnald Victorian Lady Bust Portrait Brooch Manchester
Antique CDV F. Gutekunst Handsome Victorian Man Bow Tie Coat Philadelphia PA
Antique CDV Handsome Young Man Frock Coat Striped Cravat Leaning On Column
Antique CDV Handsome Bearded Man Frock Coat Standing By Balustrade Urn Portrait
Antique CDV Wm. F. Brabrook Traveling Artist Victorian Woman Bust Portrait
Antique CDV Victorian Lady Drop Earrings High Collar Button Bodice Vignette
Antique CDV E.A. Scholfield Young Woman Ringlet Curls Bow Westerly RI Portrait
Antique CDV J.M. Smith Handsome Young Man Plaid Bow Tie Suit Mercer PA
Antique CDV Cute Boy in High Chair & Sister in Plaid Dress Victorian Portrait
Antique CDV Handsome Victorian Bearded Man Suit Vest Vignette Studio Portrait
Antique CDV Civil War Era Bearded Man Necktie Oval Vignette Studio Portrait
Antique CDV Handsome Bearded Victorian Man in Suit Vest Vignette Portrait
Antique CDV J. Atwater Victorian Woman Ringlet Curls Lace Collar Angelica NY
Antique CDV Hart Young Man in Suit Bow Tie Watch Chain Watertown NY Portrait
Antique CDV J.E. McClees Young Woman Hoop Earrings Choker Philadelphia PA
Antique CDV Handsome Victorian Man in Suit Bow Tie Hand in Vest Holding Book
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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