Carte de Visite
Albumen-print portraits on small card mounts — the calling-card photo of the Civil War era.
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1860s CONFEDERATE CIVIL WAR GENERAL GABRIEL J. RAINS C.S.A.
CIRCA 1860s CDV 2C WASHINGTON CIVIL WAR TAX STAMP H.F. MILLS LADY BOOK NEW YORK
CIRCA 1860s CDV MOULTHROP BEARDED MAN WHO ATTENDED YALE UNIVERSITY NEW HAVEN
CIRCA 1900s CDV SWEDISH CAPTAIN IN UNIFORM NAMED AXEL SJOBERG KARLSBORG SWEDEN
1898 CDV SPANISH AMERICAN WAR 3RD SERGENT IN UNIFORM NAMED ON BACK
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870s CATHOLIC REVEREND PRIEST HOLDING BIBLE HOLDING BIBLE
1000 CDV AND TINTYPE PHOTO SLEEVES PACK CLEAR POLY ARCHIVAL SAFE
ANTIQUE CDV CIRCA 1870s S. KNOTT OLD LADY IN BLACK DRESS OLDHAN ENGLAND NAMED
100 PLASTIC PROTECTIVE CASES FOR CDVS & TINTYPES GREAT FOR SHIPPING & STORAGE
ANTIQUE C. 1880s CDV 2C WASHINGTON CIVIL WAR TAX STAMP NAMED MOTHER & DAUGHTER
500 CDV AND TINTYPE PHOTO ZIPLOC SLEEVES PACK CLEAR POLY ARCHIVAL SAFE
CIRCA 1870s CDV SIMS GALLERY IDENTICAL TWINS IN SUITS CAMDEN NEW JERSEY
CIRCA 1880s CDV CROSS-EYED LADY WITH FANCY HAIR IN DRESS HILARIOUS UNMARKED
CIRCA 1880s CDV KING EDWARD VII WITH QUEEN ALEXANDRIA DETAILED UNMARKED
CIRCA 1860s CDV LITTLE GIRL WITH FUNNY NOTE/DRAWING ABOUT CATCHING FISH UNMARKED
CIRCA 1880s CDV OTTO VON BISMARK CHANCELLOR OF GERMANY ALBUM PRINT
1866 CDV 2C CIVIL WAR REVENUE TAX STAMP O. FRANKLIN BEARDED MAN POLAND NEW YORK
CIRCA 1860s CDV BEARDED MAN FINDLAY PHOTOGRAPH ROOMS G.W. TWINING
CIRCA 1870s CDV OLD MAN D.S. NEVILLE PHOTOGRAPHER COLUMBUS OHIO
CIRCA 1880s CDV WEALTHY YOUNG MAN ZAYS STUDIO FINDLAY OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CDV WEALTHY YOUNG LADY WOMEN J.E LARKING CONCORD NEW HAMPSHIRE
CIRCA 1870s CDV YOUNG BEARDED MAN UNMARKED
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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