Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
Antique CDV 1860s J. Mccormick Woman Crinoline Dress Walsall UK
Antique CDV Mr & Mrs Barnard Woman Full Length Dress Regent Street London
Antique CDV J.C. Garrood Girl Standing By Chair Doll Hertford UK Photo
Antique CDV Appleton & CO Distinguished Man Sideburns Bow Tie Bradford UK
Antique CDV 1870s Gottheil Elderly Woman Lace Bonnet Dress Mile End London
Antique CDV 1870 F E Carter Bearded Man Seated Woman Maidstone Kent UK
Antique CDV 1890s Messrs Stearn Young Man Bow Tie Suit Cambridge UK
Antique CDV 1870s Young Girl in Shawl With Toy Dog Poodle Figurine Prop
Antique CDV 1870s W.H. Miller Young Woman Lace Collar Carmarthen Wales
Antique CDV 1880s Handsome Young Man Mustache Striped Tie Suit Portrait
Antique CDV Elliott & Fry Bearded Man A Richardson London UK Portrait
Antique CDV Bodil Houschildt Young Woman Puff Sleeves Lace Collar Ribe
Antique CDV 1860s J Jamieson Woman Bonnet Dress Edinburgh Scotland
Antique CDV 1860s Mother & Child Striped Dress Hoop Skirt Portrait
Antique CDV William Short Seated Man Patterned Suit Melbourne Australia
Antique CDV 1870 London School Of Photography Girl Dress Hat Column
Antique CDV J Fieldhouse Boy in Cap Standing By Table With Small Box
Antique CDV Huleux Josephine Butler Woman Sitting Portrait Boulogne-Sur-Mer
Antique CDV 1868 E R Kingsbury Mr Holland Umbrella Top Hat London UK
Antique CDV George Henshall Young Man Top Hat Pedestal Hanley Staffordshire UK
Antique CDV 1870 J Emery Boy Standing Suit Ornate Table Hanley UK
Antique CDV 1860s A Robertson Woman Plaid Ruffled Dress Glasgow Scotland
Antique CDV 1877 Hills & Saunders Young Man Eton Suit Portrait Eton UK
Antique CDV Sanderson Bros Young Man Bowler Hat Golf Club Richmond Yorks
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.
Have CDVs to sell?
We buy carte de visite singly or by the lot. Send a few photos and we'll have an offer back in 24–48 hours.
Get an offer →