Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Tewksbury Handsome Man with Mustache Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Kramer Young Lady In Dress Des Moines Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s J. Bodurtha Handsome Man With Mustache Delaware OH
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Landy Old Man In Suit Cincinnati Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s J.S. Wissler Handsome Man with Mustache Canton OH
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Oleson Beard Man Suit St. Johns Quebec
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s C.H. Saylor Old Bearded Man In Suit Reading PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s John D. Kemer Old Lady In Bonnet Harrisburg PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Ball & Son Handsome Bearded Man Suit Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Musser Old Lady In Bonnet Harrisburg PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Moerk Handsome Man with Mustache Suit NJ
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Fred C. Mills Handsome Man with Mustache Bath UK
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s John D. Hemmer Handsome Man In Suit PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Singhi Handsome Man with Mustache Binghamton NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Traulsen Handsome Man with Mustache Nebraska
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s O'Neil Handsome Man with Mustache New Bedford MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s F.M. Tennison Man with Mustache Brockton Mass
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lease Handsome Man with Mustache Lancaster PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Math Mathson Man with Mustache Astoria Ore
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lady Husband and Wife Holyoke MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J. Bippel Old Bearded Man In Suit Milton PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Snow & McDermott Handsome Man In Suit Fitchburg MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.M. Boice Handsome Old Bearded Man Elkhart IN
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Kenney Bros Old Bearded Man Meriden Conn.
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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