Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Jas Crownover Victorian Couple Man Woman Studio
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Handsome Young Man Suit Tie Vignette Portrait
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Johnny Donahue Handsome Man Striped Suit
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Haefer Family Father Mother Two Hancock MI
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Evans Frank Rosenberg Young Man Centralia Ill.
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Huston Young Man Ed Brautmeyer Burlington IA IA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Miller Two Children Boy Minneapolis Minn
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Cornell Studio Mustache Man Bow Tie Albany NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bp Hanson Couple Victorian Elmore Germania MN
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s G Latimers Mustache Man Three Piece Liverpool
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Gregory Handsome Young Man Suit Sacramento Cal
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lc Perkinson Moustachioed Man Double NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bruno Art Studio Handsome Man Portland or
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s William Smith Bearded Man Full Length Hat Suit
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Ryder Mustache Man Double Breasted Cleveland OH
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Shepard CO Woman Gibson Girl Hair Providence RI
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Woman Spectacles Glasses High Collar Boston MA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s G Caldwell Woman High Collar Nottingham UK
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Ch Wareham Young Child White Fort Scott KS
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Handsome Young Man Mustache Suit Mrs Emma
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Fritz Leyde Berlin Couple Berlin Germany
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Myhre Young Woman Standing Blouse Luverne Minn
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Geo Kraft Mustache Man Hand in Coat St Paul MN
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bridle Man Pinstripe Suit Philadelphia PA
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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