Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
Antique CDV Circa 1860s C. C. Shadle Handsome Bearded Man Suit Tarentum PA
Antique CDV Circa 1890s Jamin & Cie Lady In Dress Large Lace Bow Paris France
Antique CDV Circa 1860s Victorian Lady in Dress with Brooch Ornate Fram Unmarked
Antique CDV Circa 1880s H. Boisdon Gorgeous Lady In Buttoned Dress Paris France
Antique CDV Circa 1870s W. Clayton Gorgeous Lady Nottingham Leicester England
Antique CDV Circa 1880s A. Calphas Handsome Man With Mustache Paris France
Antique CDV Circa 1860s Jas. Russell & Sons Lady In Ruffled Dress Chichester
Antique CDV Circa 1890s Worthing Portrait Company Cute Baby In Dress Worthing UK
Antique CDV Circa 1860s A. Leroux Family Portrait Older Woman Child Marseille
Antique CDV Circa 1890s L. Muller-Rault Two Ladies In Ruffled Gowns Paris France
Antique CDV Circa 1870s Provost Gorgeous Young Lady In Dress Perpignan France
Antique CDV Circa 1900s Vandier Two Cute Young Girls In Coats Paris France
Antique CDV Circa 1890s A. Heron Gorgeous Lady In Dress Montlucon France
Antique CDV Circa 1870s G. Williams & Co. Gorgeous Lady In Dress London England
Antique CDV Circa 1870s Victorian Woman And Cute Girl In Plaid Dress Unmarked
Antique CDV Circa 1890s Boning & Small Young Gorgeous Lady London England
Antique CDV Circa 1870s Th. Marc Handsome Man With Mustache Suit Castres France
Antique CDV Circa 1890s P. Valat Handsome Man With Mustache Castres France
Antique CDV Circa 1880s Lady In Victorian Ruffled Dress Portrait Unmarked
Antique CDV Circa 1900s E. Cricaud Handsome Man Mustache In Suit Castres France
Antique CDV Circa 1870s Byrne & Co. Gorgeous Young Lady Lace Richmond England
Antique CDV Circa 1890s Rolland & Fils Cute Baby In White Dress Saintes France
Antique CDV Circa 1890s Handsome Young Man In Suit Bowtie Boutonniere Unmarked
Antique CDV Circa 1880s Ch. Poupat Handsome Man With Mustache Bourges 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.
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