André Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri, former merchant, actor, and daguerreotypist , patented his invention, the carte-de-visite (visiting card) photograph, in 1854. At nine-by-six centimeters, cartes were primarily portraits, about the size of a conventional calling card and soon just as popular.

Who invented cartes de visite?

André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri Carte-de-visite, originally, a calling card, especially one with a photographic portrait mounted on it. Immensely popular in the mid-19th century, the carte-de-visite was touted by the Parisian portrait photographer André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri, who patented the method in 1854.

What kind of art did Andre Adolphe Eugene disderi make?

André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri (French: [ɑ̃dʁe adɔlf øʒɛn dizdeʁi]; 28 March 1819 – 4 October 1889) was a French photographer who started his photographic career as a daguerreotypist but gained greater fame for patenting his version of the carte de visite, a small photographic image which was mounted on a card.

When was the carte de visite?

1854 In 1854, Disdéri patented the carte-de-visite format (approx. 6 x 10 cm), and the technique soon expanded to photography studios around the world. Various specialized cameras were developed in the wake of this invention.

Why were carte de visite so popular?

Cartes de visite also contributed to the rise of celebrity culture in America. It became common to collect not only ones friends and family but also portraits of famous men and women. John Wilkes Booth was a frequent star in photo albums, if not always as popular as he would have liked on stage.

What does the term carte de visite mean?

visiting card A carte de visite is a photograph mounted on a piece of card the size of a formal visiting card—hence the name. The format was patented by the French photographer Andre Adolphe Eugene Disdéri (1819–89) in 1854.