The carte de visite, or visiting card, a photographic format about the size of a modern baseball card, dominated the American scene coincident with the Civil War.
Invented in France and imported to the United States via Great Britain about 1860, it immediately became all the rage in big cities and small towns across the country.
In 1863, Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes declared, “Card portraits, as everybody knows, have become the social currency, the ‘green-backs’ of civilization.”
Cartes began a gradual decline in popularity in 1866 after the introduction of the larger cabinet card format. The card photograph continued in production as late as 1920.
These amazing visiting cards from Ronald S. Coddington that show portraits of American men during the Civil War.
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| American Men during the Civil War |
Invented in France and imported to the United States via Great Britain about 1860, it immediately became all the rage in big cities and small towns across the country.
In 1863, Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes declared, “Card portraits, as everybody knows, have become the social currency, the ‘green-backs’ of civilization.”
Cartes began a gradual decline in popularity in 1866 after the introduction of the larger cabinet card format. The card photograph continued in production as late as 1920.
These amazing visiting cards from Ronald S. Coddington that show portraits of American men during the Civil War.
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| A good smoke and a loyal puppy |
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| A hunter and his dog |
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| A New York Tribune journalist after his escape from a confederate POW camp |
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| A Survivor of the Revolution |
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| A very, very old man |
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| A world view from Missouri |
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| A young man poses in his fraternal sash with his initials embroidered on one side and a flower in the center |
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| Addison Kelley |
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| American pioneer in care |
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| Bearded gent sits in a studio chair |
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| Chessmen |
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| Dashing young man |
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| Double-barrel shotguns and a retriever |
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| Down on his luck |
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| Drinker |
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| Elderly man with his dog |
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| Fashionable quartet |
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| Former confederate officer and friend with a camera and related accouterments |
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| Frank Bates and fly |
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| Fraternity man |
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| Kilt cap and pipe |
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| Maine gentleman with top hat and cane |
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| Man wearing fraternal garb |
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| Man with a sheep |
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| Man with hat |
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| March 26, 1870 |
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| Mason in full regalia |
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| Pair of gentlemen |
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| Profile of a gentleman with light-colored eyes |
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| Shooting irons, stage coaches and fraternal orders |
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| Skater suits up |
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| Slick dude in a buffalo robe |
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| Smiling lads |
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| Smoking a bowl |
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| Summer seegars |
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| Table for five |
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| The American Bohemian |
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| The chronicler |
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| The dude |
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| The man behind the gunboat Aroostook |
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| Thoughtful gentleman |
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| Trio of gents |
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| Two friends |
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| Wisconsin dandies |
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| Young man looks away from book |
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