Cartes-De-Visites (CDVs), were part of a major shift in the 1860’s from glass and metal photographic media to treated paper mounted on cardstock. Cheaper than daguerreotypes and tintypes, CDVs (which originated in France) made photography accessible to more people and were ideal for giving out at social visits as gifts or calling cards. These 2.5 by 4 inch prints also became the standard medium for photos of soldiers.