CARTE
DE VISITE and
CABINET CARDS
Many
of the early photographs on this site were taken from either
Carte de Visite or Cabinet card images. Here is an explaination
of those processes:
CARTE
DE VISITE
- These photographs were introduced in 1859 and produced
in the millions in the later part of the 19th Century. Because
they were produced in such volume, they are not particularly
rare today, but are collectable nevertheless. The Victorians
were avid collectors of photographs. The photographic process
was new and there was a great fascination for the images.
Every home was decorated with carte de visite. Bedrooms
and parlors were filled with images of family, friends,
and celebrities. The carte de visite (or "CdV") is a standard
2 ¼" X 4" with an imprint or "backmark" bearing the name
and location of the photographer. Many were trimmed to fit
frame, so they vary somewhat from this size on occasion.
The Cabinet Card, introduced in 1866 eventually began to
take over the popularity of the carte de visite and by the
late 1880’s, the card de visite was a rarity in the market.
THE
CABINET CARD
was especially developed for portraits and images of people.
The images, such as those of celebrities, could be mass
produced. They were a somewhat larger version of the carte
de visite, usually 6 ½" X 4 ½" in size (larger cards were
called "Boudoir cards" and even larger, more expensive ones
were called "Imperials"). They retained the photographer's
imprint and also were decorated with artwork on the card
border beneath the image or as a "backmark" on the reverse.
Like the carte de visite, it was a paper photograph mounted
on a commercially-produced stiff card. Most cabinet cards
were albumen prints, but other processes were used. While
most cabinet card images appear to be black and white, those
photographs showing a more natural tone were commonly produced
on a matte collodion, gelatin or gelatin bromide paper.
Some images have a greenish cast to them, especially those
of architecture or landscapes. Gelatin papers were introduced
in the 1870s and this soon became the standard throughout
the 1880s and 1890s along with the gelatin bromide papers.
The last commercial cabinet cards were produced in the twenties,
perhaps as late as 1924. The popular new choice for collectors
after about 1905 became the picture postcard, which was
cheaper to produce, could be sent through the mail with
a penny stamp, and could also be tinted in color quite easily.
