Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s C.s. Roshon Man With Mustache In Suit Lebanon Pa
Antique CDV Circa 1890s Anna Ollson Gorgeous Lady In Dress Seate Karlstad, Swede
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Young Gorgeous Woman In High Collar Puff Sleeve Dress
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s E. Aug. Ekstrom Lady In High Collar Dress Nybro Sweden
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Debenham & Gould Gorgeous Lady Brooch Bournemouth Uk
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Skilnadens Young Lady In Dress Helsingfors Finland
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Fritz Feussner Young Lady In Dress Forbach Germany
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Skilnadens Gorgeous Lady With Updo In Dress Helsinki Fi
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Skilnadens Gorgeous Lady High Collar Dress Helsinki Fi
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s John J. Avery Gorgeous Lady In Dress Standing London Uk
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s K.e. Stahlberg Lady In Striped Dress Helsinki Finland
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s E. Schweitzer Man With Mustache In Suit Strasbourg Fr
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Skilnadens Young Lady In Dress W/brooch Helsingfors Fi
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Skilnadens Gorgeous Lady In Plaid Dress Helsinki Finland
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Atelier Apollo Old Lady In High Collar Dress Helsinki Fi
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s F.e. Stahlberg Old Gorgeous Lady In Dress Helsinki Fi
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Skilnadens Old Lady With Braided Hair Helsingfors Fi
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Theodor Wenzel Young Girl In Dress W/ Necklace Berlin De
Antique CDV Circa 1890s Old Gorgeous Lady in High-Collar Dress with Brooch Hai
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Oscar Rylander Gorgeous Lady In Dress Kristianstad Se
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Alexis Brandt Young Woman High Collar Dress Malmo Sweden
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Leroy & Merrill Young Lady In Hat & Pearls Youngstown Oh
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Jakob Ljungqvist Young Woman In Dark Dress Helsinki Fi
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Otto Ohm Handsome Man With Mustache In Suit Malmo Se
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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