Carte de visite - precursors of film and movie



A carte de visite (CDV) is a small photograph mounted on a card, typically measuring 2.5 by 4 inches. They were popular in the late 19th century as a way for people to exchange and collect images of themselves, their friends, and famous figures.


As technology improved, CDVs gave way to larger, more detailed photographs, and eventually to film. The invention of motion picture cameras in the late 19th century marked the beginning of the motion picture industry, and the first motion pictures were shown to audiences in the early 1890s.



CDVs were one of the earliest forms of commercial photography, and their widespread popularity helped to popularize the medium. They were often used as calling cards, and people would collect them in albums, similar to how people today collect photographs on their phones or social media profiles.


The invention of the CDV is credited to André Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri, a French photographer who patented the process in 1854. He used a camera with multiple lenses that could take several pictures on one plate, which allowed him to produce many copies of a single photograph at a lower cost. This made photography more affordable for the general public and helped to spur the growth of the medium.


CDVs were precursors to film and movie in that they were one of the first forms of visual media to be widely distributed and consumed. They were also a form of early mass media, in that they allowed people to see and learn about people and places that they would not have otherwise had access to.


Carte de visite slowly gained popularity until 1859, when Disdéri published photographs of Emperor Napoleon III in this format. This made the format a sudden success. The new invention was so popular that its use became known as "cardomania" and quickly spread throughout Europe, and then to America and the rest of the world.


By the early 1870s, cartes de visite were being replaced by "cabinet cards," which were also usually albumen prints but larger in size, measuring 4.5 by 6.5 inches. Cabinet cards remained popular until the early 20th century when Kodak introduced the Brownie camera and home photography became a mass phenomenon.


The American Civil War also saw a rise in popularity of carte de visite as soldiers, friends and family members could inexpensively obtain photographs and send them to loved ones. They were also used to document important figures and events of the war.



Overall, Carte de visite played a important role in the history of photography, being one of the first forms of commercial photography, and their widespread popularity helped to popularize the medium. They were precursors to film and movie in that they were one of the first forms of visual media to be widely distributed and consumed. The invention of motion picture cameras in the late 19th century marked the beginning of the motion picture industry, and the first motion pictures were shown to audiences in the early 1890s.

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