Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
Antique CDV Circa 1880s R. Ovesen Black Old Lady IN Ornate Lace Dress Stockholm
Antique CDV Circa 1890s John Nilsson Gorgeous Black Young Lady IN Dress Kalmar
Antique CDV Circa 1880s Aug. Wahlström Handsome Young Man Plaid Sui Falun Sweden
Antique CDV Circa 1870s Gösta Florman Handsome Man with Mustach Stockholm Sweden
Antique CDV Axel Sjöberg Young Handsome Man Arvid Tau Malmö Sweden
Antique CDV Circa 1870s W. Duke Sons & CO. Young Gorgeous Lady NY NY
Antique CDV Circa 1870s Alex. A. Inglis. Handsome Man Mustach Edinburgh Scotland
Antique CDV Circa 1870s Gosta Florman Handsome Bearded Man IN Suit Stockholm
Antique CDV Circa 1900s Anders Olsson Black Gorgeous Lady Dark Dress Sandviken
Antique CDV Circa 1860s Handsome Man With Mustache IN Suit And Vest Unmarked
Antique CDV Circa 1870s Handsome Old Bearded Man IN Suit With Cravat Unmarked
Antique CDV Circa 1870s Chambers & Schrack Man Mustache Will Hol West Union IA
Antique CDV Circa 1870s R. E. Churchill Old Man With Mustache IN Suit Albany NY
Antique CDV Circa 1880s Young Handsome Man IN Suit With Tie Pin Lapel Unmarked
Antique CDV Circa 1890s H. J. Reed Handsome Man IN Suit Sideburns Worcester
Antique CDV Circa 1880s Fitton Young Gorgeous Lady IN Lace Collar Worcester
Antique CDV Circa 1880s L. F. Hammer Handsome Man With Mustache Saint Louis
Antique CDV Circa 1880s P. Walker Young Handsome Man IN Long Coat MT. Holly
Antique CDV Circa 1880s Carl Sonne Husband & Wife With Cute Baby Copenhagen
Antique CDV Circa 1890s Zivney & Schmitz Young Handsome Man Mustache Milwaukee
Antique CDV Circa 1890s Hafer Handsome Young Man IN Suit Reading PA
CDV Circa 1860s 3c Civil War Tax Stamp Gorgeous Lady IN Dress Seated Montrose PA
Antique CDV Circa 1870s Patton & Lee Lady IN Plaid Dress Reading PA
Antique CDV Circa 1880s W.g.c. Kimball Handsome Old Bearded Man IN Suit Concord
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 →