What is the Art cdv card?

  You may have noticed carte de visite images that are not photographs at all, but reproductions of paintings or drawings or engravings. Some may have a poem, or an emotional title.

These are known as cdv or carte de visite Art cards

Some of these art cards were engravings of famous paintings, or perhaps well-known Civil War generals or soldiers.

But many were specificallly designed for the cdv market by artists employed by the photographer or printer. Some of these artists signed their work, so look carefully on the image to find their name.

A cdv publisher might hire an artist to produce an image, then market the image to photographer's galleries and salons around the country to sell to their clients.

Since the cdv art card rose to popularity during the American Civil War, many of the themes are related to the soldier or the family at home pining for him or mourning his loss. Mothers with children are a favorite subject.

Children were a common theme, often connected to current events of the 1860s. For example, here is an art cdv of a child trying on a pair of father's army or cavalry boots.  This is a Civil War era art cdv, and a very emotional scene for the public at that time. Is the curly locked child trying on a pair of boots from father who has returned safely from war, or are the boots all that survive?

Some Art cdvs depict romantic scenes involving historical personages, such as Mary Queen of Scots.   Royalty was a favorite subject as were military heroes, animals (particularly dogs,) great landmarks such as cathedrals, religious paintings, lovely ladies in beautiful dresses, and always adorable children.

How were Art cdvs used?

  In an untouched cdv album (in other words, one that has not had photos removed or changed since the day they were put in) you will frequently find an art cdv as the first image in the album. This seems to have been a common habit for people in particularly the 1860s when starting their family albums.