Cartes de visite picturing famous people that survive today come from several sources. They could be private pictures that the imaged person would give out to family and friends, or, in the case of politicians, they could be photos that candidates either distributed to supporters or sold to them as a means of funding the campaign. Often other photographers would "steal" an image, modify it slightly, and sell to a public eager to purchase a photo of a famous politician or celebrity. Itt would be difficult to determine the ultimate source of this carte, but its rarity does point to a limited distribution during Lockwood's lifetime.