Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1900s L.f. Frank Cute Girl In Dress Reading PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lee Gorgeous Lady Wearing Hat Phillipsburg
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s B.f. Ogden Sons Lady In Dress Albany NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Seeley & Warnock Young Lady In Dress Bridgeport
Cabinet Card Circa 1891 Roshon Gorgeous Lady In Dress Lebanon PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1870s J.d. StrunkBlack Lady In Dress Reading PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s HoldernessBlack Lady In Dress Ellsworth
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s L.e. Towne Black Gorgeous Lady In Dress Troy NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Unknown Gorgeous Lady In Dress Reading PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1900s T. Edwin Cotton Lady In Dress Philadelphia PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Dunklee & Baw Gorgeous Lady In Dress Greenfield
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Duryea Gorgeous Lady In Dress NY NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Brownworth Lady In Dress Falls Of Schuylkill PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1900s Lady In Dress Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1870s Topliff Handsome Man With Mustache In Suit
Cabinet Card Circa 1900s J.h. Kiersted Elegant Lady In Dress Troy NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1870s A.h. Dinsmore Gorgeous Lady In Dress Dover
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s J. Frits Black Old Lady In Dress Reading Penn.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Wilcox Old Lady In Dress Ripon WI
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s M.j. Smith Young Lady In Dress Dover
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.c.a. Van Wijk Teenage Boy In Suit Utrecht
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Lady In Dress Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Mills Gorgeous Lady In Dress Willimantic
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s H.j. Dougherty Cute Boy Waterloo NY
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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