Figure 1.--A HBC reader has acquired a wonderful Carte de Visite album from an English family during the 1860s and 70s. It has a tooled leather cover, a double "S" logo, ans a metal clasp. It looks to be specifically designed for CDVs. All the CDV portraits are identified by Christian name and the date the photo was taken. Image coutesy of the MD collection.

A HBC reader has acquired a wonderful Carte de Visite album from an English family during the 1860s and 70s. It has a tooled leather cover, a double "S" logo, ans a metal clasp. It looks to be specifically designed for CDVs. All the CDV portraits are identified by Christian name and the date the photo was taken. Family albumns were very common in the 19th century, especially after the appearance of CDVs. Dagereotypes were not easy to put in albumns. These albums might have very elaborate leather covers. They were lovingly maintained by the the family--normally the mother. The albumns were kept in the parlor and brought out for company to see. These albumns were not limited to photographic portraits, altnough this one was. Many families kept scrapbooks in which a wide variety of itms were kept, incluing photographs. Lots of other items mught be included such as theater tickets, baby ribbons, postcards, pressed flowers, amd much more. We have a complete chronological list of the CDVs included in the albumn.