Figure 1.-- These are two of the earliest Carte de Viste (CDV) portraits archived on HBC. The boys in earch CDV wear low-cut white dresses and pantalettes with marron shoulder ribbons and waist tassels. Both are dated June 1862. This would suggest thsat they could have been taken to send to a father serving in the Federal army during the Civil War. They are an extrodinary matched set of hand tinted CDVs picturing two brothers or twins, each with a hoop. The boys wear almost idebtical white dresses. We have found quite a number of tinted dags, but tinting CDVs was less common. Notice how the pose is similar to that used for Daguerreotypes. Click on the image to see his brother.

The chronological time-line for CDVs varies somewhat from country to country. THe precise date the first CDV was created is unceratin. I am not sure where the CDV was first developed. It appears to have been France in the 1850s. One English collector reports that the earliet English CDV he has dates to 1859. The CDV was dominant from about 1859-66 [Mace]. After 1866 it had to compete with the larger csabinent card format. We do not believe that large numbers of CDVs appeared until about 1860, at least in England. This appears to be about the same time that CDVs began to appear in America. We tend to note substantial numbers of CDVs appeaing in America about 1861. The earliest American CDVs we have archived on HBCs is matching cards of two Philadelphia brothers in 1862. With the introduction of the cabinent card in 1866 the importance of the CDV slowly began to decline. Many clients preferred the larger image on the cabinent card. CDVs were also common in America during the 1870s, but by the 1880s cabinent cards had begun to replace them. CDVs appaer to have remained popular longer in Europe. A German reader reports, "I do not really think that there was a time of more Cabinet Cards than CDVs. CDV-format is neat and handy and not so expensive, perfect for swapping (very popular). And I have never seen an photo album just for Cabinet Cards. What I see are CDV albums or albums for with lots of places for CDVs and less places for Cabinet Cards." CDVs did not entirely disappear until the 1910s. CDVs were still being made in Germany right up to the start of the World War I in 1914. You rarely find them in the United Kingdom. however, much after 1905.

The 1850s

The precise date the first CDV was created is unceratin. I am not sure where the CDV was first developed. It appears to have been France in the 1850s. One English collector reports that the earliet English CDV he has dates to 1859. While there appears to have been some made in the late-1850s, they seem to be relatively rare. We have not yet found any American CDVs from the 1850s. So for thevmost part, we can assume that the vast majority of CDVs date from the 1860s.

The 1860s

The CDV was dominant from about 1859-66 [Mace]. After 1866 it had to compete with the larger csabinent card format. We do not believe that large numbers of CDVs appeared until about 1860, at least in England. This appears to be about the same time that CDVs began to appear in America. We tend to note substantial numbers of CDVs appeaing in America about 1861. The earliest American CDVs we have archived on HBCs is matching cards of two Philadelphia brothers in 1862. With the introduction of the cabinent card in 1866 the importance of the CDV slowly began to decline in America. Many American clients preferred the larger image on the cabinent card. Curriously the CDV remained very popular in Europe even at the end of the century. The CDV did not disappear in America. We see CDVs into the 1880s, but after the 1860s and early 70s they became increasingly rare. CDVs tended to be posed differehtly than the Dags and Ambros of the 1850s. The subject was usually standing in the CDV portraits. This was possible because of the faster emulsions of the albymen process. The standing posture permitted the portratist to capture the subjects entire outfit. The 1860s CDVs are also notable for the spatial impression of a nearly empty room. There is often a baseboard and blackwall with a few pieces of furniture by the subject. A good example is an American boy, Clifton Harrison in 1866. Changes in CDVs did not occur just in 1869 and 1870. Sonme of the differences we mention in the 1870s began to occur in the late 1860s.

The 1870s

CDVs were still common in America during the 1870s, but were gradually being replaced by caninent cards. In Europe they continued to be very popular. CDVs remained very popular longer in Europe. A German reader reports, "I do not really think that there was a time of more Cabinet Cards than CDVs. CDV-format is neat and handy and not so expensive, perfect for swapping (very popular). And I have never seen a photo album just for Cabinet Cards. What I see are CDV albums or albums for with lots of places for CDVs and less places for Cabinet Cards." This was not the case in America where during the 1870s, cabinet cards became the dominant format. The CDVs popular in America during the 1870s were posed differently than the 1960s which either looked like Dag poses are had the subject stabnd in whart often looked like an empty stage. We see much more intimate poses in the 1870s and elaborate props and backdrops. We also see close up, torso and facoal portraits. Often the image is not a standard rectangle but croped to give a kind of framing affect. Another hange in the 1970s is that we befgin to see much more elaborate backs with elaborate floral, scroll, and other designs. We do not yet have enough European images to tell if similar trends took place there as well, or if there were differences notable in the CDVs from the various countries.

The 1880s

Major differences developed between photography in American and Europe during the 1880s. The cabinet card was the dominant photographic format in America by the 1880s. We still see some CDVs. A good example is Jesse Bell in 1884. CDVs although not rare in the American photographic record, were much less common than cabinet cards. Assessing prevalence, however, is complicated by the fact that so few CDVs are dated. While not very common in America, CDVs were still common in Europe. Cabinet cards did not largely replace the CDV as was the case in America. We are not sure why this very apparent disparity developed. Some possible reasons occur to us. Increasing American affluence may be a factor. Cabinet cards were a little more expensive. Perhaps more conservative European society was slower to change. But in fact we have no real idea concerning this difference. We note a far greater prevalence of CDVs in Europe than America. We do not yet have details on the trends in specific European countrues.

The 1890s

The difference concerning CDVs and Europe continued in the 1890s. We still see a few CDVs in America, but the number is dwarfed by the dominant cabinet card format. On the other hands, in Europe, we still see large numbers of CDVs during the 90s.

The 1900s

You rarely find CDVs in the United Kingdom much after 1905.

The 1910s

CDVs did not entirely disappear until the 1910s. CDVs were still being made in Germany right up to the start of the World War I in 1914.

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Created: 12:00 AM 12/21/2006
Last updated: 5:08 AM 9/5/2010