The backs of CDV are just as interesting as the fronts. The reverse often displays the name and address of the photographer or photography studio who took the photo. After a while, a simple name and address wasn’t enough to stand out now 1,000s of people were opening studios up and down the country so companies commissioned increasingly elaborate illustrations or logos which are often really beautiful pieces of design to fill the backs of their printed CDV.
In the early 1870s, carte de visite were joined by cabinet cards, which were larger but also mounted on cardboard backs measuring 110mm x 170mm. After a 40+ year trend, by the early 20th century popularity for CDV and cabinet cards were fading as Kodak introduce the box Brownie camera and home photography became a new mass phenomenon. Now CDV can be found in large numbers, loose or in family albums almost everywhere.
CDV are really wonderful, personal items, giving us an insight into people who lived over 100 years ago, how they dressed and presented themselves. Each personality is framed forever in the face and posture of these little cards. I have a few dozen CDV as I love people, stories and design. Imagining the life each person might have led is great fun and really interesting. You can pick up carte de visite seriously cheaply online for about £1 each, and I think that’s a bargain for a photo of a person you might have the last image of in the world.