Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
Antique CDV Circa 1880s Chas. F. Johnson Gorgeous Lady In Velvet Hat Chicago IL
Antique CDV Circa 1890s J.e.a. Kindblom Young Handsome Man Suit Gislaved Sweden
Antique CDV Circa 1890s Ester Tholin Young Handsome Man In Suit Wernamo Sweden
Antique CDV Circa 1890s J. A. Kindblom Handsome Young Man Suit Gislaved Sweden
Antique CDV Circa 1890s Geo. H. Wood & Co. Cute Young Boy Towanda PA
Antique CDV Circa 1880s A. J. Hagnell Young Lady In Elegant Dress Varnamo Sweden
Antique CDV Circa 1860s Peck Bros. Handsome Old Bearded Man Suit New Haven CT
Antique CDV Circa 1880s A. Provost Gorgeous Lady Elegant Floral Dress Toulouse
Antique CDV Circa 1860s Filley & Gilbert Old Handsome Man New Haven CT
Antique CDV Circa 1860s R. Dikenmann Landscape View Of Grutli Zurich Switzerland
Antique CDV Circa 1880s System Sasse Black Old Lady In Elegant Dress Vienna
Antique CDV Circa 1880s Young Handsome Man In Suit Wavy Hair Patterned Unmarked
Antique CDV Circa 1890s Handsome Man With Mustache In Checkered Suit Unmarked
Antique CDV Spitz Handsome Bearded Man In Textured Jacket Unmarked
Antique CDV Circa 1870s Handsome Man with Mustache In Suit Bowtie Sitti Unmarked
Antique CDV Circa 1890s E. Dessendier Handsome Man With Mustache Roanne France
Antique CDV Circa 1870s Handsome Man With Mustache In Suit And Vest Unmarked
Antique CDV Circa 1870s Young Gorgeous Lady Curly Hair Lace Collar Bow Unmarked
Antique CDV Circa 1890s Anderson Gorgeous Lady In Lace Collar Haverhill Mass.
Antique CDV Circa 1880s Old Lady In Dark Dress Holding Book Sitting Unmarked
Antique CDV Circa 1860sBlack Lady In Dark Dress With Brooch & Hair Ribbon
Antique CDV Circa 1880s P. Bradford Handsome Young Boy In Suit Greenfield Mass.
Antique CDV Circa 1870s Cute Baby In Fancy Dress With Bows Sitting Pose Unmarked
Antique CDV Circa 1880s W. Bates Old Lady In Dark Dress Glasses London Surrey
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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