Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
Antique CDV Reeve CO Spence Graybill Young Man Bow Tie Columbus OH Portrait
Antique CDV Louis Seebohm Boy Suit Bow Tie Harry Harris Dayton OH
Antique CDV P F Finch Woman Portrait Vignette Lebanon OH Bust
Antique CDV B.F. Marsh Woman Ringlet Curls Vignette Painesville OH
Antique CDV Bf Marsh Bearded Man Bust Portrait Painesville OH
Antique CDV M. W. Fitch Beaded Vest Plaid Pants Fremont OH
Antique CDV H W B D Bolles Bearded Man Portrait Le Raysville PA
Antique CDV Chas Foedisch Bearded Man Suit Honesdale PA Portrait
Antique CDV J W Black Bearded Man Bowtie Suit Boston MA
Antique CDV M S Lamprey Bearded Man Fisherville NH Suit Portrait
Antique CDV Stein Bros Young Woman Miss C Wiley Ravenna OH Chair
Antique CDV J H Oakley Woman Cross Choker Ravenna OH Victorian
Antique CDV Stein Bros Young Man Suit Leaning Fringed Chair Ravenna
Antique CDV S D Griffin Young Woman Portrait Meshoppen PA Hair Comb
Antique CDV Gihon & Jones Moustached Man Balustrade Philadelphia PA
Antique CDV Whitaker & CO Toddler Girl Striped Dress Philadelphia PA
Antique CDV Thos Cummings Couple Seated Man Standing Woman Lancaster
Antique CDV Gills City Gallery Woman Bonnet Gown Lancaster PA
Antique CDV D C Burnite Toddler Child Chair Harrisburg PA Balustrade
Antique CDV G. Lauman Hay Seated Woman Victorian Dress Fringe York PA
Antique CDV C. C. Burns Elderly Woman Bonnet Collar Philadelphia PA
Antique CDV B Knecht Standing Young Man Frock Coat Easton PA
Antique CDV Cargo Woman Seated Button Front Dress Allegheny PA
Antique CDV John Daily Woman Dark Button Dress Lebanon PA 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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