Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
Antique CDV 1891 Henderson & CO Young Woman Dark Dress Rochdale UK
Antique CDV 1860s F Hill Couple Man Sitting Woman Standing Salford UK
Antique CDV T. J. Bonne Handsome Young Man Suit Bow Tie Edinburgh Scotland
Antique CDV 1891 Henderson & CO Young Woman Plaid Dress Rochdale UK
Antique CDV W Kurtz Portrait Woman Choker Necklace Earring New York NY
Antique CDV W.K. Munro Victorian Woman Velvet Dress Watch Chain Edinburgh UK
Antique CDV 1860s Elegant Woman Full Skirt Crinoline Dress Chair Prop
Antique CDV J. Mackintosh Bearded Man Standing Cane Bowler Hat Kelso Scotland
Antique CDV 1870s Man Standing With Umbrella Top Hat On Chair Portrait
Antique CDV 1860s W H Kent Woman Silk Crinoline Dress Table London UK
Antique CDV Kitchen Young Man Top Hat Frock Coat Urn Birkenhead UK
Antique CDV 1894 Stuart Lancaster Young Woman Lace Collar Rochester UK
Antique CDV 1870s J Thomas Husband Wife Portrait Liverpool UK
Antique CDV R Hammond Boy in Hat Sitting On Chair Bacup Lancashire UK
Antique CDV E Goodfellow Bearded Man Sitting Leg Crossed Top Hat Wincanton UK
Antique CDV Bolko Schmiechen Mrs Lowes Victorian Dress Sunderland England
Antique CDV Lock & Whitfield Seated Man Beard Book Table London Brighton UK
Antique CDV 1870s Clergyman Priest Bishop Collar Long Hair Portrait
Antique CDV Green Photo Two Young Girls Sisters Plaid Sash Coventry UK
Antique CDV 1870s Elliott & Fry Robert Mathews Esq London Sideburns Suit
Antique CDV 1870s E. Cee Man Sitting Armchair Book Erith Kent UK
Antique CDV Jos. Gabriel Woman Portrait Karlin Karolinenthal Prague Czechia
Antique CDV James Parkinson Victorian Lady Plaid Dress Fancy Hat Warrington UK
Antique CDV 1883 David Hum & CO Woman Button Dress London UK Portrait
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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