Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
Young Lady Long Braid Vignette Westerly RI A.E. Scholfield Antique CDV
Victorian Lady Ruffled Collar Brooch Lowell Ma M.W. Emerson Antique CDV
Victorian Lady Lace Collar Brooch Philadelphia Pa Mahan & Keller Antique CDV
Young Lady Lace Collar Brooch Cochranton Pa Whittling & Seavy Antique CDV
Cute Baby in Long Gown On Draped Chair Bristol Pa J.H. Bostwick Antique CDV
Old Lady Seated Holding Book Cameo Brooch Mitchell New Castle Pa Antique CDV
Handsome Goatee Man Three Piece Wool Suit New Castle Pa J. Mitchell Antique CDV
Cute Baby in Checkered Dress Bare Feet Chatsworth il A.H. Hall Antique CDV
Old Husband And Wife Romantic Couple Seated Woman Standing Man Antique CDV
Bald Man With Mustache in Suit New Castle Pa S.M. Gillespie Antique CDV
Handsome Young Man Tweed Suit Stuttgart Germany Alma von Der Trappen Antique CDV
Victorian Lady Earrings Lace Scarf New Castle Pa Phipps & Johnston Antique CDV
Young Lady in Buttoned Dress Stuttgart Germany C. Pfann Antique CDV
Handsome Young Man Suit Oval Portrait Westminster MD J.W. Perkins Antique CDV
Young Lady Pattern Neck Ribbon Bow Hanover Pa P.S. Weaver Antique CDV
Young Lady Ruffle Collar Lace Hairpin Bloomington in J.B. Allison Antique CDV
Handsome Man Mustache Pocket Square Williamsport Pa T.J. Cornwell Antique CDV
Old Lady Lace Headdress Brooch New Castle Pa A.W. Phipps Antique CDV
Cute Baby in White Dress Seated On Striped Chair Oval Vignette Antique CDV
Cute Baby in White Christening Gown Dress Painesville Oh J.E. Smith Antique CDV
Young Lady in Plaid Bow Tie Dress Hagerstown MD E.M. Recher Antique CDV
Young Victorian Lady Braided Hair Oval Cameo Ruffle Collar Dress Antique CDV
Old Lady in Button Down Dress A. H. Hall Chatsworth il Antique CDV
Handsome Young Man Mustache Bow Tie Milton Pa W.P. Wheeland 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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