Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bearded Old Man In Suit Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Steph Larson Gorgeous Lady In Dress Philipsburg PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Fotoplyer & Spenser Handsome Man Suit Minneapolis
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Dana Old Bearded Man in Suit New York
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Shadle & Busser Handsome Man with Mustache York PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Yates Young Lady In Dress Rushville NE
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.A. Finkbinder Man with Mustache Bellefonte PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Astrom Handsome Man with Mustache Brockton MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A.L. Bowersox Old Bearded Man In Suit Dayton Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s T.R. Burnham Handsome Man In Suit Boston MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s R.M. Morris Handsome Man with Mustache Birkenhead
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.S. Roshon Handsome Bearded Man Lebanon PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s H.B. Shaeffer Handsome Man with Mustache PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hickok Man with Mustache Ionia Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Notman Young Handsome Man In Suit Albany NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Dengler Handsome Man with Mustache Slatington PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s D. Vann Handsome Bearded Man Brooklyn NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Caldwell & Kent Handsome Man With Mustache
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Denis R. Thompson Handsome Man Bradford
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Unmarked Gorgeous Lady In Elegant Gown
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.J. Sharp Man with Mustache in Suit Sheffield
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Von Der Heide Gorgeous Lady In Dress Chicago IL
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.H. Overton Old Lady In Dress Cortland NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Nye Old Lady In Dress Duluth Minnesota
Cabinet cards are larger albumen photographs mounted on thicker, often decorated card stock. First offered in London in 1863 and reaching American studios by 1866, they were dominant from the 1880s through the early 1900s — the ‘Golden Age’ of the cabinet card runs roughly 1870 to 1895 — and continued in declining numbers into the 1920s.
HistoryOrigin & era
Cabinet cards offered the same albumen process as CDVs but at a size more flattering to detailed studio work. By the 1880s mounts grew elaborate — gold edges, embossed studio logos, chromolithographed backs. The format faded sharply after Eastman Kodak's 1900 Brownie put cameras in everyone's hands; few cabinet cards date after 1906, and the last were produced in the early 1920s.
IdentificationHow to spot a Cabinet Card
- Mount roughly 4¼ × 6½ inches.
- Heavier card stock than a CDV, often with rounded corners and gold or beveled edges.
- Photographer's imprint usually on the front below the photo, with elaborate logos on the back.
- Plain pale mounts are earlier (1870s); dark green, black, and gilt mounts are 1880s–1890s.
Cabinet Card sizes
Standard cabinet cards are remarkably consistent, but several larger "deluxe" formats were sold by the same studios.
| Format | Inches | Millimeters | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard cabinet card | 4¼ × 6½ in | 108 × 165 mm | Universal mount size. |
| Cabinet print on mount | ≈ 3¾ × 5½ in | ≈ 95 × 140 mm | Photo trimmed to fit with a narrow border. |
| Promenade | 4 × 7 in | 102 × 178 mm | Taller variant, popular 1875–1900. |
| Boudoir | 5¼ × 8½ in | 133 × 216 mm | Larger format for full-length portraits. |
| Imperial | 6⅞ × 9⅞ in | 175 × 251 mm | Largest of the cabinet-family mounts. |
| Panel | 4 × 8 in | 102 × 203 mm | Narrow, full-length portrait format. |
Common questions
What is a cabinet card?
A cabinet card is a Victorian-era portrait photograph — an albumen print mounted on a heavy card roughly 4¼ × 6½ inches. First offered in London in 1863 and arriving in American studios by 1866, cabinet cards were the standard portrait format from about 1880 through the early 1900s and continued in declining numbers into the 1920s.
How do I date a cabinet card?
Mount color and decoration are the best clues: pale buff or cream stock with a simple imprint is 1870s; dark gray or maroon with gold edges is mid-1880s; deep green, black, or chocolate brown with ornate gilt lettering is 1890s. Beveled edges with gold appear around 1885.
What are cabinet cards worth?
Generic studio portraits typically run $5–$20. Cards depicting identified subjects, occupational scenes, ethnographic subjects, post-mortem photography, or well-known photographers can range from $50 to several hundred dollars. Condition, sharpness of the print, and subject interest matter more than age.
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