Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
CIRCA 1890s CDV AGNES ANDERSSON MAN IN SUIT ALFTA SWEDEN
CIRCA 1870s CDV PRUDEN JONES BABY IN WHITE DRESS CORTLAND NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CDV B.F. HINCKLEY HANDSOME MAN IN SUIT WITH MUSTACHE
CIRCA 1880s CDV GUSTA HORMAN MAN IN SUIT STOCKHOLM SWEDEN
CIRCA 1870s CDV FRANK CAREY SCARED LITTLE GIRL IN WHITE DRESS PENN YAN NEW YORK
CIRCA 1880s CDV A. GARNER LITTLE BOY IN DRESS NAMED ON BACK WAVERLY IOWA
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1860s BRACKBILL HANDSOME LITTLE PERSON MIDGET PERRYSVILLE PENN
CIRCA 1890s CDV CAMPBELL & CAMP CUTE LITTLE GIRL IN WHITE DRESS MANSFIELD OHIO
CIRCA 1880s CDV RANKINS LADY IN FANCY DRESS TAUNTON MASSACHUSETTS
CIRCA 1880s CDV J.H. ROGERS BABY IN WHITE CHRISTENING DRESS WAYNESBURG PENN.
CIRCA 1880s CDV D. SCIDMORE MAN IN SUIT WITH MUSTACHE GLOVERSVILLE NEW YORK
CIRCA 1870s CDV WM. McHENRY BEARDED MAN IN SUIT FREEPORT ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1870s CDV W.H. BENNET BEARDED MAN IN SUIT WILKES BARRE PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1870s CDV WM. McHENRY LITTLE GIRL IN WHITE DRESS FREEPORT ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1890s CDV HALL YOUNG MAN IN FANCY SUIT GT. BARRINGTON MASSACHUSETTS
CIRCA 1880s CDV L.E. WILSON BABY IN WHITE DRESS PETERBORO NEW HAMPSHIRE
CIRCA 1870s CDV BAIRD YOUNG BOY IN SUIT MIDDLETOWN NEW YORK ALBUM PRINT
CIRCA 1880s CDV W. McHENRY YOUNG MAN IN SUIT FREEPORT ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1880s CDV OLD LADY IN BLACK DRESS THAT LOOKS LIKE A MAN ROGERS GUIHEN
CIRCA 1880s CDV WEST V. LEWIS TRAVELING PHOTOGRAPHER MAN IN SUIT WITH MUSTACHE
CIRCA 1870s CDV E. JESSUP HANDSOME YOUNG BOY IN SUIT MIDDLETOWN NEW YORK
CIRCA 1880s CDV E. MURPHY YOUNG MAN IN SUIT BINGHAMTON NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CDV LITCHFIELD "MERRY CHRISTMAS NOTE" YOUNG MAN IN SUIT WALLET PHOTO
CIRCA 1880s CDV GILMORE LADY IN BLACK DRESS BINGHAMTON 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.
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