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An important part of New York City-based photographer Jeremiah Gurney’s business was making small-size portrait photographs. Beginning in the 1850s, cartes de visite (calling cards, or visiting cards) photographs were popular. They were often made with a four-lensed camera, capturing four of the same image at once. They were printed eight on a sheet and each photograph was mounted on a thick cardboard paper sized 2.5 in. by 4 in.

Cartes de visite were shared among families and friends, and mostly were stored in photographic albums. However, by the early 1880s, cartes de visite were replaced by larger cartes de imperiale (cabinet card), also albumen prints, mounted on cardboard backs measuring 4.5 in. by 6.5 in. Because of their size, cartes de imperiale would have been visible from across the room. As such, they were often displayed using frames and small stands.