Cartes de Visite

There are several versions of the introduction of the carte de visite, but all agree that they became popular in the late 1850s. They retained their popularity until the late 1860s when it started to decline but they were still produced in the 1900s. Cartes de visite consist of a print stuck to a card mount of about 4 ⅛" x 2 ½" in size. The prints were mostly albumen and, later, emulsion based printing-out-paper. Other processes, including carbon and Woodburytype, were also used.

Cartes de visite considerably reduced the cost of having a portrait taken and made it within reach of most people, as a result there was a dramatic increase in the number of studio photographers. They also started a collecting craze - only possible with a standardised format. Cartes were collected of the extended family, and of royalty and the famous.

Many cartes were kept in albums, special forceps were sold to remove the cartes through slots in the page. Optical viewers and other viewing devices were produced.

Early cartes were usually on plain mounts either white, cream or similar, with square corners. The photographer's name, if on the front of the card, was in small lettering, the reverse had a restrained look to it. Later mounts were in different colours - yellow, green, pink and black were popular, the mounts were thicker than previous and had rounded corners, the mounts often had gold edges and sometimes a border around the print. The photographer's name became more prominent and the reverse of the card carried an elaborate design. A tissue guard was often attached to the mount.

Most cartes are of single portraits, groups were less common as were topographical and architectural subjects. Cartes, often in a series, depicting comic scenes were produced. Early cartes usually show a full length figure, later, head and shoulders and three-quarter length poses were more common, the use of oval vignettes were also typical of later cartes. As a variant to a flat print some later cartes had their central part raised either by placing the card in a press or placing padding between the print and the mount. Cartes with several small raised portions, a small portrait on each, were also made.¹

Most cameras used for carte de visite photographs were fitted with multiple lenses or had a repeating back allowing several images to be captured on a single plate. This reduced the processing costs as only a single plate had to be sensitised and developed, and a single contact print from the plate yielded several images. There was also less wastage, with a wet collodion plate 'thumb' room, where the plate was held whilst being sensitised, and the area lost due to the silver corner pieces in the dark slide, would be considerable for a single small image.²

References & Notes:

Howarth-Loomes, Victorian Photography. A Collectors Guide, p. 81. Gernsheim, History of Photography, p. 293.

[1] The credit for a card having four small portraits, called a Diamond Cameo, is usually given to F.R. Window.

[2] Some cameras made by Dallmeyer for single images exist. Stereo cameras were often sold with an extra back to take two cartes.

European

Adolphe Disdéri

. Man sitting holding a cane. Albumen print on plain white mount, red printing on reverse.

Address: 8 Boulevard des Italiens, Paris. 70,71,72 Brook St., Hanover Sq., London. Hereford Lodge Brompton Rd., London. c. 1866 - 1870.

References & Notes:

See the British Journal of Photography of 16 Dec 1870 (p. 595) for a report of a court action.

Adolphe Disdéri

. Portrait

of a woman. Albumen print with raised centre. White mount with gold surround to image, red printing on reverse.

Address: 8 Boulevard des Italiens, Paris.

Adolphe Disdéri

. Portrait of a boy. Albumen print. White mount with gold surround to image, red printing on reverse.

Address: 8 Boulevard des Italiens, Paris.

Adolphe Disdéri

. Portrait

of a woman. Albumen print. Mauve printing on white mount.

Address: 6 Boulevard des Italiens, Paris.

Adolphe Disdéri

. Full-length portrait of a man. Albumen print. White mount.

Address: 8 Boulevard des Italiens, Paris.

Nadar

, Paris. Albumen print of a woman. White mount with thick red border, red printing. 'Photographie du Grand Hôtel' is printed above the Nadar name.

Address: 35 Boulevart des Capucines, Paris.

Nadar

, Paris. Albumen print of a woman, head-and-shoulders. White mount with border to image, red printing.

Address: 35 Boulevart des Capucines, Paris.

Nadar

, Paris. Albumen print of a man, head-and-shoulders. White mount with border to image, red printing. 'Photographie du Grand Hôtel' is printed above the Nadar name.

Address: 35 Boulevart des Capucines, Paris.

Nadar

, Paris. Albumen

print, portrait of a woman. Yellow mount with red border, red printing.

Address: 51 Rue d'Anjou, Saint Honoré.

The Saint Honoré studio is described in The Photographic Studios of Europe.

Fred. Boissonnas

, Genève. Print

on plain cream mount. Dated Aug. 1881.

Address: 4 Quai de la Poste, Genève.

M.H. Fontès

. Photograph of a wedding couple. Glossy print on cream mount. Dated 1884.

Address: 60 Avenue de Clichy, Paris.

M.H. Fontès

. Extremely glossy print on yellow mount raised centre and red border.

Address: 60 Avenue de Clichy, Paris.

M.H. Fontès

. Photograph of a woman. Extremely glossy print on yellow mount with raised centre.

Address: 60 Avenue de Clichy, Paris.

Verneuil

, Paris. Extremely glossy print.

Address: 34 Rue Dauphine, Paris. (1869 - 1870).

References & Notes:

McCauley, Industrial Madness.

Bonnier

. Photograph of a man in uniform. Glossy print on grey mount with tissue guard. The studio specialised in military subjects.

Address: 29 Rue du Vieux, Versailles.

P.J. Schreiner

, Bad Neuenahr. Mauve/black image of a man with a child. Dated 1898.

British

Antoine Claudet

, London. Full-length portrait.

Address: 107 Regent St.

Antoine Claudet

, London. Full-length portrait of a woman sitting at a desk.

Address: 107 Regent St.

Henri Claudet

, London. Full-length portrait of a man.

Address: 107 Regent St.

Camille Silvy

, London. Full-length portrait. The subject is identified as Frank Johnston.

Address: 38 Porchester Terrace, Bayswater.

Camille Silvy

, London. Princess Augusta Wilhelmina Louisa, Duchess of Cambridge. Full-length portrait. Silvy favoured elaborate backgrounds such as the one shown in this example.

Address: 38 Porchester Terrace, Bayswater.