Cartes-de-visites were introduced to Britain in the late 1840s and began a new era in popular photography. Local studios and itinerant photographers ensured availability across the United Kingdom.

This carte de visite is a photograph of a Victorian gentleman. He is posed in a standing position, carrying his hat and cane.

The 'carte' became so popular, that by the 1860s between three to four hundred million were sold annually to people of most social backgrounds. The craze for collecting cartes-de-visites is sometimes referred to as 'cartomania'.