Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
Handsome Bearded Man in Coat By Table Burlington VT Charles Miller Antique CDV
Young Lady in Hoop Skirt Crinoline Dress By Ornate Chair Antique CDV
Young Lady Drop Earring Plaid Collar Providence RI S.B. Brown Antique CDV
Victorian Lady Bonnet Lace Bow Tie New York NY R.A. Lewis Antique CDV
Victorian Seated Woman in Dark Hoop Skirt Hart's Watertown NY Antique CDV
Handsome Young Man Center Part Hair Mustache New York NY Rockwood Antique CDV
Handsome Man in Frock Coat Striped Tie Hillsboro Oh W.A. Morrow Antique CDV
Old Man in Frock Coat Cravat Studio Portrait Albion NY Disbrow Antique CDV
Handsome Young Man Suit Bow Tie Malone NY Fay & Goodell Antique CDV
Young Lady Profile Ruffled Collar Millersburgh Oh Antique CDV
Handsome Young Man Sideburns Bow Tie Newton NJ J.N. Roof Antique CDV
Young Lady Long Ringlet Curls Button Dress New York NY Bogardus Antique CDV
Cute Boy in Victorian 3-Piece Button Suit Standing Studio Pose Antique CDV
Handsome Young Man Sideburns Suit Tie Lawrence Ma Frank Russell Antique CDV
Young Victorian Lady Elaborate Updo Chatham Village NY J.R. Allis Antique CDV
Cute Little Girl Pearl Necklace Off-Shoulder Dress Indianapolis in Antique CDV
Cute Baby in White Dress Seated On Chair Gouverneur NY A.S. Rhodes Antique CDV
Young Victorian Lady Ruffled Collar Dress Dover NH A.P. Drew Antique CDV
Cute Baby in White Dress On Fringe Chair Scranton Pa Henry Frey Antique CDV
Cute Baby in White Dress Seated On Stool Hanover Pa P.S. Weaver Antique CDV
Young Woman High Collar Button Dress Foster Campbell Richmond VA Antique CDV
Young Woman Short Hair Button Dress Richmond VA Foster Campbell & Co Antique CDV
Handsome Young Man Suit Bow Tie Hanover Pa P.S. Weaver Antique CDV
Victorian Lady Ruffled Collar Cameo Brooch Boomhower Lowell Ma Antique CDV
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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