Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870s HOLTON CUTE LITTLE GIRLS IN DRESS BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870s J.C. LATTO CUTE LITTLE GIRL IN FANCY DRESS SOUTH BOSTON
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1860s ALLEN & ROWELL CUTE BABY IN WHITE DRESS BOSTON MASS.
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1883 COOK CUTE LITTLE GIRL IN DRESS PORTSMOUTH NEW HAMPSHIRE
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870s BROWN CUTE BABY IN WHITE DRESS NEWPORT NEW HAMPSHIRE
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870s S.G. MOORE CUTE LITTLE GIRL IN WHITE DRESS EXETER N.H.
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870s E.M. WHITE CUTE LITTLE GIRL IN DRESS KEENE NEW HAMPSHIRE
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1880s COOK CUTE LITTLE BOY PORTSMOUTH NEW HAMPSHIRE
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870s L.A. RICHARDSON CUTE LITTLE GIRL IN DRESS LEOMINSTER MA.
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1880s FREEMAN CUTE BABY IN WHITE DRESS ROCKLAND MASSACHUSETTS
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1880s FREEMAN CUTE BABY IN WHITE DRESS ROCKLAND MASS.
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870s FRANK ROWELL CUTE LITTLE GIRL IN WHITE DRESS BOSTON MA.
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870s M. CHANDLER CUTE LITTLE GIRL IN DRESS MARSHFIELD MASS.
ANTIQUE CDV 1881 C.H. ROGERS CUTE LITTLE GIRL IN DRESS PLYMOUTH MASSACHUSETTS
ANTIQUE CDV 1878 E.A. BASS CUTE BABY IN WHITE DRESS ROCKLAND MASSACHUSETTS
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870s CHR. RUPP CUTE BABY IN STROLLER NEW YORK DETAILED
ANTIQUE CDV C. 1870s BONTA & CURTISS CUTE BABY IN HIGH-CHAIR RARE! SYRACUSE NY
ANTIQUE CDV C. 1880s GURNEY OLD LADY IN STRIPED DRESS CROSS-EYED PAWTUCKET R.I.
CIRCA 1880s CDV J. WESLEY CORNELIUS LITTLE GIRL IN DRESS LEWISBURG PENNSYLVANIA
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1880s MELANDER LITTLE GIRL HOLDING TOY DOLL CHICAGO ILLINOIS
ANTIQUE CDV C. 1870s D.S. PIERSON LAWYER & CIVIL WAR CONGRESSMAN FROM NEW YORK
CIRCA 1860s CDV COLONEL ALEXANDER RIDGWAY 2ND DEVONSHIRE ARTILLERY VOLUNTEER
CIRCA 1870s CDV GERMAN EMPEROR FREDERICK III IN HUNTING CLOTHING WITH RIFLE
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870s ROCKWOOD YOUNG CROSS-EYED MAN WITH AUTISM NEW YORK
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 →