Carte de visite

Carte de visite
The carte de visite (abbreviated CdV or CDV, and also spelled carte-de-visite or erroneously referred to as carte de ville) was a type of small photograph which was patented in Paris, France by photographer Andr Adolphe Eugne Disdri in 1854, although first used by Louis Dodero.[1][2] It was usually made of an albumen print, which was a thin paper photograph mounted on a thicker paper card. The size of a carte de visite is 54mm (2.125in) 89mm (3.5in) mounted on a card sized 64mm (2.5in) 100mm (4in). In 1854, Disdri had also patented a method of taking eight separate negatives on a single plate, which reduced production costs. The Carte de Visite was slow to gain widespead use until 1859, when Disdri published Emperor Napoleon III's photos in this format.[3] This made the format an overnight success, and the new invention was so popular it was known as "cardomania"[4] and eventually spread throughout the world. Each photograph was the size of a visiting card, and such photograph cards became enormously popular and were traded among friends and visitors. The immense popularity of these card photographs led to the publication and collection of photographs of prominent persons. "Cardomania" spread throughout Europe and then quickly to America. Albums for the collection and display of cards became a common fixture in Victorian parlors.

1859 Carte de visite of Napoleon III by Disdri, which popularized the CDV format.

By the early 1870s, cartes de visite were supplanted by "cabinet cards," which were also usually albumen prints, but larger, mounted on cardboard backs measuring 110mm (4.5in) by 170mm (6.5in). Cabinet cards remained popular into the early 20th century, when Kodak introduced the Brownie camera and home snapshot photography became a mass phenomenon.

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The American Civil War

The carte de visite photograph proved to be a very popular item during the American Civil War. Soldiers, friends and family members would have a means of inexpensively obtaining photographs and sending them to loved ones in small envelopes. Photos of Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and other celebrities of the era became an instant hit in the North. People were not only buying photographs of themselves, but also collecting photographs of celebrities.

Carte de visite of John Wilkes Booth; around 1863, by Alexander Gardner

Gallery

One of the first Carte de visite of Queen Victoria taken by Photographer John Jabez Edwin Mayall

Carte de visite of Hector Berlioz from 1864 or 1865, around the time his young lover Amlie broke off their relationship and soon died.

Two examples of carte de visite photographs taken during the American Civil War. Each soldier shown here served with the 77th Illinois Volunteer Infantry.

Carte de visite of Sojourner Truth. She sold these to raise money (see inscription).

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The only known photograph of Mary Seacole, taken for a carte de visite by Maull & Company in London in c.1873.

Carte de visite of Sim D. Kehoe, who brought Indian clubs to the United States from England.

CDV of Seth Kinman taken by Mathew Brady.

CDV of a chair presented by Kinman to Abraham Lincoln. Kinman sold these CDVs in the U.S. Capitol.

An early cat macro by British portrait photographer Harry Pointer, circa 1870s.

Camille Silvy's portrait of William Fane De Salis, London, 1861.

Notes
[1] [2] [3] [4] Welling Leggat Gernshein p.55 Newhall

References
Welling, William. Photography in America (1978 & 1987) Dr. Robert Leggat MA M.Ed Ph.D. FRPS FRSA (http://www.rleggat.com/photohistory/history/cart-de-.htm) Newhall, Beaumont. The history of photograph (1964) Gernshein, Helmut (1986). A Concise History of Photography (http://books.google.com/ books?id=GDSRJQ3BZ5EC&pg=PA55#v=onepage&q&f=false). Courier Dover Publications. ISBN978-0-486-25128-8. Retrieved 2010-10-16.

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External links
Mathew Brady, Father of Photojournalism (http://www.mathewbrady.com) Portraits of Scientists: Increase Lapham's Cartes-de-visite Collection (http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi/ feature/lapham) Collected by pioneering Wisconsin antiquarian Increase A. Lapham between 186275, this album of carte-de-visite photographic portraits depicts many notable 19th-century scientists from America and Europe. Available on Wisconsin Historical Images, the Wisconsin Historical Society's online image database. University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections 19th Century Actors Photographs (http://content.lib. washington.edu/19thcenturyactorsweb/index.html) Cartes-de-visite studio portraits of entertainers, actors, singers, comedians and theater managers who were involved with or performed on the American stage in the mid-to-late 19th century. Gettysburg College Nineteenth Century Notables Digital Collection (http://gettysburg.cdmhost.com/cdm4/ browse.php?CISOROOT=/p126301coll1) William Emerson Strong Photograph Album -- Duke University Libraries Digital Collections (http://library. duke.edu/digitalcollections/strong/) 200 cartes-de-visite depicting officers in the Confederate Army and Navy, officials in the Confederate government, famous Confederate wives, and other notable figures of the Confederacy. Also included are 64 photographs attributed to Matthew Brady.

Article Sources and Contributors

Article Sources and Contributors

Carte de visite Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=533573641 Contributors: Adrigon, AmRen93, Amg37, Andy Dingley, BartBenjamin, Before My Ken, Betacommand, BillFlis, Bookgrrl, BrokenSphere, CIreland, Celuici, DavidHoag, Dylanfromthenorth, Eubulides, GjR, Gsch, Guermonprez, HeLmiT, Hmains, Hoary, Hoodinski, Hu12, Inexplicable, Iohannes Animosus, Jeraphine Gryphon, Kaihsu, Kimvais, Lar, Lumos3, Mactographer, MarkSweep, Mauls, Memphisto, Miaow Miaow, Mnmngb, Morn, Nicolas1981, Noahgh, Nunh-huh, Octavian history, Ouedbirdwatcher, Outriggr, PRiis, Perceval, Pierremf, Pinkville, Qwyrxian, Raymondwinn, Rodolph, SMcCandlish, Scewing, Sdornan, Smallbones, Sobebunny, Targetpuller, Theopolisme, Toujri, UWDI ced, Whsimages, 40 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

File:Napoleon III, CDV by Disderi, 1859-retouch.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Napoleon_III,_CDV_by_Disderi,_1859-retouch.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Cirt, Infrogmation, Scewing File:jwbooth.jpeg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Jwbooth.jpeg License: Public Domain Contributors: Unknown Image:Queen Victoria .jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Queen_Victoria_.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Photograph by John Jabez Edwin Mayall (18131901) London. Publisher Notmann Montreal. Image:Hector_Berlioz_Crop.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Hector_Berlioz_Crop.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: cabinet card, stamped "Franck, Phot(ographer)" (Paris); Franois-Marie-Louis-Alexandre Gobinet de Villecholle) (pseudonym Franck) Image:Cdv.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Cdv.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Original uploader was BartBenjamin at en.wikipedia Image:Carte de visite.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Carte_de_visite.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: unknown photographer, publisher: Sojourner Truth Image:Seacole photo.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Seacole_photo.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Original uploader was RetiredUser2 at en.wikipedia Image:CarteDeVisiteSimDKehoeLate1800s.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:CarteDeVisiteSimDKehoeLate1800s.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Amg37, Cirt, Vonvon, 1 anonymous edits File:KinmanUofCBerk.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:KinmanUofCBerk.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Smallbones File:KinmanLincolnChair.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:KinmanLincolnChair.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Original uploader was Smallbones at en.wikipedia File:BtnPointerCat02.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:BtnPointerCat02.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Harry Pointer (1822-1889) File:UncleWillyYoungerStanding.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:UncleWillyYoungerStanding.jpg License: GNU Free Documentation License Contributors: User:Rodolph

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