Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870S CUTE BOY IN JACKET ALBUM PRINT UNMARKED
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870S HENRY & LAINER CUTE BABY IN DRESS CINCINNATI OHIO
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870S W.J. MAIN CUTE BABY IN DRESS WATERTOWN NEW YORK
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1880S WILL HART CUTE BABY IN DRESS WATERTOWN NEW YORK
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870S CUTE YOUNG BOY IN SUIT UNMARKED
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870S YOUNG BOY IN SUIT UNMARKED
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870S P.S. WEAVER CUTE BABY IN DRESS HANOVER PENNSYLVANIA
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1860S L.W. HEERMANS CUTE CHILD FANCY DRESS SCRANTON PENN.
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870S R.B. LEWIS CUTE BABY IN DRESS HUDSON MASSACHUSETTS
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870S J.W. GRAHAM LADY IN DRESS ST JOSEPH MISSOURI
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870S F.L. MITCHELL YOUNG BOY IN SUIT ST JOSEPH MISSOURI
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870S B FRANK SAYLOR BOYS HOLDING HANDS LANCASTER PENNSYLVANIA
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1860S FRANK SAYLOR CUTE CHILD IN CHAIR LANCASTER PA
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1880S STEWART & PHEAR LADY BOY NORTH EAST PENNSYLVANIA
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870S JOHN DAILY CUTE BABY IN DRESS ALTOONA PENNSYLVANIA
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1880S C.W. VAN ALSTINE CUTE BABY BIG RAPIDS MICHIGAN
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870S PATTON & DIETRICH CUTE BABY IN DRESS READING PA
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1860S J.T. KRAFT BABY IN DRESS NEW YORK NY
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870S L. BISSELL CUTE BABY IN DRESS MILFORD MICHIGAN
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870S JOHN D. STRUNK CUTE BABY IN DRESS READING PA
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870S W. H. KIBBE CUTE BABY IN DRESS JOHNSTOWN NY
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870S ROCKWOOD & CO CUTE BABY IN DRESS NEW YORK NY
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870S LEAMAN & LEE YOUNG MAN IN SUIT READING PENNSYLVANIA
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1860S T.W. TAYLOR YOUNG LADY IN DRESS WEST CHESTER PENN.
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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