Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s Henry Cooper Young Handsome Man In Suit Northampton Uk
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s Cute Young Girl In Fancy Dress With Bow Standing Pose
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s Masterson Cute Baby In White Gown Port Jervis New York
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s Cute Baby In Dress Sitting On Chair With Button Boots
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s E. L. Clement Handsome Man With Mustache In Formal Suit
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s C.t. Meacham Cute Baby In Dress Greenville Pennsylvania
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s E. Poole Cute Baby In Gown Seated St. Catharines On
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s Cute Young Boy In Suit Standing By Fringed Stool Photo
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s Young Handsome Man In Suit Bow Tie Bust Portrait Seated
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s T.w. Townsend Young Handsome Man In Suit Iowa City Iowa
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s W. Wiggins Handsome Man W/ Mustache In Suit Blackpool Uk
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s Young Gorgeous Lady In Dress Wearing Brooch Curly Bangs
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s J. R. Tewksbury Young Lady With Braid Fort Madison Ia
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s A.&g.taylor Cute Boy In Suit W/ Bowler Hat Sheffield Uk
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s Young Handsome Teenage Boy In Wool Suit Haverhill Ma
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s Van Sickle Cute Baby In Long Gown Seated Kalamazoo Mi
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s Swan Bjorklund Cute Toddler In Dress Boots Paxton Il
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s Cute Baby In Dress Seated On Velvet Chair Northwood Iowa
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s Robert F. Hughes Cute Girl In Dress Seated Chicago Il
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s Lewis Cute Baby In White Gown Seated Portrait Hudson Ma
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s Cute Baby Seated In Lace Christening Gown & Bib Pose
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s J. H. Hamilton Cute Baby In Dress Sioux City Iowa.
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s A.h. Smith Cute Baby In Victorian Dress Seated Salem Ma
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s L. E. Wilson Cute Baby In Dress & Boots Peterboro Nh
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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