Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Ford Mccracken Young Man Formal Jacket Grundy Center Ia
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Rider Young Woman Portrait High Collar Dress Chicago Il
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Ford Two Young Girls In Dark Dresses Grundy Center Ia
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Ny Art Gallery Child In White Lace Dress Richmond Va
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s F. A. Trader Young Man In Suit & Tie Emporia Kansas
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Elderly Couple Bearded Man & Woman Dark Dress Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Little Curly Girl In Lace Bonnet & White Dress Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J. Forster & Son Young Boy Lace Collar Suit Detroit Mi
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Woman Curly Hair High Collar Dress Pin Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lenhart Three Children Family Portrait Allentown Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Toddler & 4mo Infant In Dress On Chair Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Rice Baby In White Dress On Chair Gilmore City Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Gillam Young Woman In White Apron Plymouth Meeting Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Miller Bros. Two Children In White Dresses Milwaukee Wi
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s L. A. Mortensen Young Woman Lace Gloves Chicago Il
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Window & Grove Young Woman Corsage Bust London England
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Monroe Young Boy Sailor Suit Leaning Stool Bronson Mi
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Gustav Dahms Teen In Suit & Boutonniere Davenport Ia
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Tower Bridge Co. Young Couple Victorian Dress London
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Edwards Girl In Communion Veil & Candle Pittsburgh Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Vict. Young Woman Fur Trim Jacket Hat Stroudsburgh Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Girl In White Dress Standing On Chair Phila. Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Toddler In White Dress Curly Hair Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Mustachioed Man In Suit Holding Hat Unmarked
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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