Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
Antique CDV C. W. Tallman Linus Curtiss Young Man Suit Batavia NY
Antique CDV Henry W Biffar Standing Mustache Man Coat Brooklyn Greenpoint
Antique CDV Robinson Fluke Mutton Chops Sideburns Man Profile Toledo OH
Antique CDV Roshon Studio Young Man Vest Lebanon PA Mr Sisty
Antique CDV Pfeifer Herman Kintz Young Man Suit Columbus OH
Antique CDV Brown & Otto Seated Gentleman Mustache San Francisco Sf
Antique CDV Bearded Gentleman Seated Waistcoat Coat Studio Portrait
Antique CDV Joseph Even Man Bowtie Suit Vignette Bust Peru
Antique CDV Bearded Man Bow Tie Ring Oval Vignette Portrait Photo
Antique CDV Fradelle Moustachioed Man Suit Regent St London UK
Antique CDV B. J. Falk Bearded Gentleman Suit NY NY Portrait
Antique CDV Hopper Gallery Art Handsome Bearded Man Suit Bleecker St NY
Antique CDV Brand Young Man High Collar Coat Chicago IL Portrait
Antique CDV G B Dana Woman Chain Necklace Providence RI Bust Photo
Antique CDV G B Hall Man Mustache Suit Little Falls NY Photograph
Antique CDV J F Nice Lucy Hamilton Portrait Lewisburg Penna PA
Antique CDV J. T. Upson Man Bow Tie Suit Vignette Buffalo NY Portrait
Antique CDV G B Hall Vignette Woman Pink Bow Little Falls NY
Antique CDV Young Man Buttoned Suit Pocket Square Parted Hair Photo
Antique CDV Rm Gano Young Woman Oval Portrait Pittsburg PA Earring
Antique CDV Alfred Gilbert Man Goatee Beard Bow Tie Pine Grove PA
Antique CDV Kline Young Man Mustache Suit Huntingdon PA Vis A Vis
Antique CDV Jm Elliott Young Man Bowtie Suit Columbus OH Portrait
Antique CDV Stein Photographic Gallery Bearded Man Velvet Collar Ravenna OH
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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