Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
Antique CDV Wm Johnston Woman in Hat Coat Hamilton Ontario Canada
Antique CDV L.M. Delboy Young Woman High Collar Dress Den Haag Netherlands
Antique CDV A & G Taylor Woman Brooch Earrings Hair Updo London UK
Antique CDV 1870s Bearded Man Handsome Portrait Bust Vignette
Antique CDV John B Russell Bearded Man Sitting in Suit Kirkwall Orkney Scotland
Antique CDV C.E. Westerborg Elegant Woman Bustle Dress Arnhem Netherlands
Antique CDV 1860s Young Man Plaid Trousers Top Hat Column Backdrop
Antique CDV Palfery Bros Young Man Bow Tie High Collar Gloucester UK
Antique CDV Henry B Medralfe Victorian Woman Bustle Dress Tenby South Wales
Antique CDV Kilburn Distinguished Gentleman Sideburns Cravat Regent St London
Antique CDV Hellis & Sons Young Man Suit Pocket Square London UK
Antique CDV A. Bastier Distinguished Man Mustache Suit Limoges France
Antique CDV G. Day Seated Gentleman Suit Side Table Brigg Lincolnshire
Antique CDV J Bateman Young Woman Emma Ringlet Curls Canterbury UK
Antique CDV Currey Man Mustache Side Profile Suit Bolton Morecambe UK
Antique CDV 1870s W.H. Prestwich Distinguished Man Beard Suit London UK
Antique CDV 1880s Currey Young Man Mustache Suit Flower Lapel Morecambe UK
Antique CDV 1890s Hellis & Sons Woman Puffy Sleeves High Collar London UK
Antique CDV Davis & Sons Young Boy Double Breasted Coat Hat Halifax UK
Antique CDV Frederick Cole Bearded Man Sitting Holding Book London Nw UK
Antique CDV 1860s Seated Woman Military Style Trim Dress Full Skirt Chair
Antique CDV Parisian School Of Photography Woman Tiered Dress Chalk Farm London
Antique CDV A & G Taylor Young Man Suit Tie Carlisle Cumbria England
Antique CDV Barnes & Sons Woman Curly Hair Lace Collar 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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