Mme. de Cusani

In 1854, André Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri invented a device with four rotating lenses that could fit onto a camera to create 6, 8, or 10 exposures on a single glass plate. The small positive paper proofs were then cut and mounted as calling cards, or cartes de visite. Patrons ordered between 12 and 100 copies to share with acquaintances in a new fad known as “cartomania.” This rare example of an uncut sheet from Disdéri’s Parisian studio demonstrates the range of poses, props, even hairstyles that a single sitter might explore while having her portrait made. With the new format, painted backdrops and accessories became more elaborate, shifting the focus from the face to full-figure views. While Disdéri originally concentrated on collectible portraits of celebrities, the industrialization of the process and lower prices enabled millions of people to purchase their own cartes de visite.