The Victorians liked to pose for photographs. The early Daguerreotype came about in 1839, when the inventor Samuel Morse returned to the U.S. after visiting Daguerre in Paris. Ambrotypes and tintypes followed in the mid 1850s.
The carte de visite came on the scene around 1859. This 2.5 x 4-inch photograph mounted on cardboard was affordable. When the Civil War tore families apart, many had photos taken so they could gaze upon their loved ones.
The photo above shows the four cartes de visite I found in an antique store and used as the models for the major characters in my debut novel. Although the photographs are over 140 years old, they are in remarkable shape, a tribute to the photography of yesteryear.
The carte de visite was replaced by a larger photograph in the 1870s. The 4 x 6-inch images were also mounted on cardboard. The one below shows the woman I used as the model for the heroine in my latest story.
Can you guess what these larger photographs were called?
(Hint: the name is two words beginning with a C.)
You can leave your answers in a comment. If you want to see if you guessed correctly, click this link. You’ll need a password, but it’s an easy one. It’s Romance with a capital R.
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