Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
Antique Cdv Circa 1860s Cridland Handsome Bearded Man In Suit Standing Dayton Oh
Antique Cdv Circa 1860s Fred. Ulrich Old Man W/ Mustache In Suit New York Ny
Antique Cdv Circa 1860s Bellinger Handsome Man W/ Mustache In Coat Cobleskill Ny
Antique Cdv Circa 1860s J. P. Wilson Old Gorgeous Lady W/ Lace Collar Olney Il
Antique Cdv Circa 1860s A.h. Myers Husband & Wife Bearded Man Shanesville Oh
Antique Cdv Circa 1860s Thos. Cummings Man In Cap & Overcoat Posed Lancaster Pa
Antique Cdv Circa 1860s C.s. Sanderson Teenage Boy In Overcoat W/ Hat Dover Nh
Antique Cdv Circa 1860s Lee Handsome Man W/ Mustache Wearing Hat Richmond Va
Antique Cdv Circa 1860s Wm. H. Moore Cute Young Boys In Sailor & Suit Marion Oh
Antique Cdv Circa 1860s Brooks & Potter Old Gorgeous Lady In Dress Warren Oh
Antique Cdv Circa 1860s L.r. Bronk Gorgeous Lady In Polka Gown Ballston Spa Ny
Antique Cdv Circa 1860s Crane Gorgeous Lady With Choker In Dark Philadelphia Pa
Antique Cdv Circa 1860s C. Seaver Jr. Handsome Bearded Man In Suit Boston Ma
Antique Cdv Circa 1860s Giles Bishop Gorgeous Lady In Dress Bun New London Ct
Antique Cdv Circa 1860s J. A. Schulten Cute Baby Girl In Dress St. Louis Mo
Antique Cdv Circa 1860s A. Pelton & Co. Cute Boy In Suit Standing Freeport Il
Antique Cdv Circa 1860s M. Keowen Old Gorgeous Lady In Elegant Gown Standing
Antique Cdv Circa 1860s Jacob Rush Gorgeous Lady In Gown Standing Olney Il
Antique Cdv Circa 1860s J.p. Wilson Gorgeous Lady In Dress Standing Olney Il
Antique Cdv Circa 1860s G. P. Critcherson Handsome Man In Suit Worcester Ma
Antique Cdv Circa 1860s Fisher Bros. Cute Young Girl In Dress W/ Book Boston Ma
Antique Cdv Circa 1860s Gorgeous Old Lady In Dress With Brooch Seated Unmarked
Antique Cdv Circa 1860s J. Cady Handsome Bearded Man In Suit Brandon Vermont
Antique Cdv Circa 1860s Stein Bros. Cute Young Boy In Sailor Suit Ravenna Ohio
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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