Mlle Troisvalets 1859

André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri made this photograph of Mlle Troisvalets sometime in the 19th century. Disdéri patented this format of photograph, known as a "carte de visite," in 1854. It involved a camera with multiple lenses that could capture several poses on a single glass plate negative. This was a real innovation, allowing for mass production of photographs. Disdéri's process democratized portraiture, making it accessible to a wider public. Consider the material reality of the carte de visite. The images, printed on albumen paper, were relatively inexpensive to produce, fueling a craze for collecting and trading them. The resulting visual culture offered a new sense of celebrity, identity, and social connection. Disdéri’s invention wasn't just about art, it was about business and the rise of consumer culture. It changed not only who could be photographed, but also how photography itself was valued and consumed.