Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
Antique CDV Moustachioed Gentleman Striped Tie Suit Vignette Portrait
Antique CDV Victorian Norwegian Woman White Blouse High Collar Inset
Antique CDV Jo Wiklund Handsome Young Man Nisse Hudiksvall Sweden
Antique CDV Wilhelm Riege Couple Portrait Luneburg Bleckede Germany
Antique CDV Adolph Schnieber Woman Balustrade Floral Urn New York NY
Antique CDV E R Curtiss Man Mustache Bow Tie Suit Geo Lougee
Antique CDV Handsome Young Man Mustache Suit High Collar Bust Photo
Antique CDV W. H. Parkinson Young Victorian Woman Marefair Northampton UK
Antique CDV Garrison Harrison Young Man Suit Sydney Studio Goole UK
Antique CDV A L Henderson Two Young Sisters Flower Basket London UK
Antique CDV William Heath Gentleman Beard Suit Plymouth UK
Antique CDV Howell & Adams Young Woman High Collar Carmarthen Wales
Antique CDV Young Girl Smocked Pinafore Dress Holding Woven Basket
Antique CDV Delsart Mustache Man Suit Valenciennes France
Antique CDV Reed Victorian Woman Tailored Suit Bow Tie Bournemouth
Antique CDV Dapper Young Man Mustache Three Piece Suit Studio Pose
Antique CDV Handsome Young Man High Collar Necktie Vignette Bust
Antique CDV J Bell Young Man High Collar Suit Barry Dock & Frome UK
Antique CDV Walter Luck Young Man Checked Suit Tunbridge Wells UK
Antique CDV Gregson & Son Victorian Woman Brooch Lace Collar Halifax
Antique CDV Edwd G Brewis Woman Puffed Sleeves Newcastle On Tyne UK
Antique CDV W. C. Cubbin Young Woman Portrait Liverpool England UK
Antique CDV Norris Young Man Suit Pocket Square Birmingham England
Antique CDV Hans Wunderlich Bayreuth Victorian Woman Embroidered Bodice Brooch
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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