exceptionally rare c. 1871 carte de visite albumen photograph of painting by l.v.h. crosby depicting the start of the chicago fire at leary's barn, in which a cow kicked over an oil lamp. the antique ephemera doubles as a complimentary business card for chicago photographer "shaw" at 137 22nd street. the back reads at the top, "the cow that kicked $2,000,000 out of the home of new york," and beneath this "ruins of chicago fire / october 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th, 1871," in addition to including the photographer's information. the card is "complimentary of c.w. marshall." the albumen in fair condition considering age and date of manufacture. the front bottom of the mount contains a small stain and the upper left edge of the image is torn away. the image itself is faded, though still legible and retaining sharp tonal quality. carte de visite cards were a type of diminutive photograph first patented in paris by photographer andre adolphe eugene disderi in 1854, and later supplanted by the cabinet card. the cdv photographs were the size of a victorian-era "visiting card" and were popularly traded among friends, especially during the civil war.