Business cards are small, usually albumen, printed medium size 2.5" x 4", usually mounted on card stock. Business cards became very popular in the late 1850s and continued to be manufactured for decades. Although they originated in Europe, business cards have become widespread in several countries around the world. “The format was an international standard; for the first time, relatives and friends could exchange portraits, knowing that they would find a place in the recipient's family album, whether that album was in Brooklyn, Berlin or Brazil. One of the many reasons business cards have become extremely popular in such a short time is that, unlike earlier photographic processes, such as the daguerreotype and ambrotype, which not only cost significantly more to produce, but also required additional protection to be sent. via the messaging system. Because business cards were paper printouts, they could easily be mailed without the need for a bulky case and flimsy protective glass. The use of the albumen process and the ability to make eight different images on a single sheet of photographic paper made business cards relatively inexpensive. Due to its relatively low cost, the business card was one of the first processes that made photography truly accessible to as many people as possible. They have also had a great influence on the way people look at photographic images, for example evidence of early fashion photography can be seen throughout the history of business cards. Business cards also allowed erotic images, or pornography, to become easily accessible and widespread. Although typical business cards cease to be manufactured today, their influences both social and photographic continue today in traditions such as ...... middle of paper ...... photography. 2004. http://www.photographymuseum.com/histsw.htm (accessed November 11, 2010). Hannah, John. Encyclopedia of 19th century photography. London [ua: Routledge, 2008. Marien, Mary Warner. Photography: a cultural history. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2011. Ovenden, Graham, and Peter Mendes. Victorian erotic photography. New York: St. Martin's, 1973. Painter, Nell I. Sojourner Truth: One Life, One Symbol. Ed. Nell I. Painter. New York, NY: WW Norton & Company, 1997. Post, Emily. Etiquette in society, in business, in politics and at home. Chapter 10: Maps and tours. Np: The Jungle Books, 2007. Wichard, Robin. Victorian business cards. Great Britain: Shire, 1999. Younger, Dan. Cartes-de-visite: Precedents and social influences. CMP Bulletin. Flight. 6, 4. Riverside, California: California Museum of Photography, 1987.