Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Gorgeous Young Lady With Lace Collar Degerfors Se
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Richard Piepenhagen Young Lady In Dress Oschatz De
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Oscar Olsson Young Lady In Dark Dress Ostersund Sweden
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s D.c. Smith Young Girl With Braided Hair Marengo Iowa
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Medrington Gorgeous Lady In Collared Dress Liverpool Uk
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s A. Wickey Old Seated Lady & Young Girl In Dress Bern Ch
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Allan Andersson Family With Children Karlskoga Sweden
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Carl Golz Handsome Man In Suit Interlaken Switzerland
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s August Binder Gorgeous Lady W/ Hair Bows Ebingen De
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Tora Petterson Gorgeous Lady In Dark Dress Ostersund Se
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Elin Friberg Cute Young Girls In Dresses Koping Sweden
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Alcide Allery Gorgeous Lady Elegant Dress Paris France
Antique Cdv Circa 1890s Bates & Myers Cute Baby In White Gown Denver Colorado
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s C.e. Kempf Handsome Man W/ Mustache In Suit Brooklyn Ny
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s Rudolph Uhlman Man W/ Mustache In Suit St. Joseph Mo
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s Taylor & Preston Seated Man W/ Mustache In Suit Salem Ma
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s J. Landy Young Boy In Suit Portrait Cincinnati Ohio
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s J. E. Livernois Young Handsome Man In Suit Quebec Ca
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s Young Handsome Man In Suit Wearing Bow Tie Chicago Il
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s Dupee & Co. Handsome Man With Mustache Suit Portland Me
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s Van Sickle Old Man W/ Mutton Chops In Suit Kalamazoo Mi
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s A.w. Cox & Son Old Bearded Man In Suit Nottingham Uk
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s Stanley Handsome Man With Mustache In Suit Lewiston Me
Antique Cdv Circa 1880s S. Oliver Old Bearded Man In Suit Profile Manchester 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.
Have CDVs to sell?
We buy carte de visite singly or by the lot. Send a few photos and we'll have an offer back in 24–48 hours.
Get an offer →