Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Mature Woman In Velvet Dress & Star Brooch Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Farley Young Woman Puff Sleeve Dress Updo Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Child In Long Double Breasted Coat & Fur Hat Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Macke Baby In White Christening Gown Cincinnati Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Green Young Man Portrait Three Piece Suit Boston Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hotchkiss Seated Formal Middle Aged Couple Norwich Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Morehouse 3 Young Girls Victorian Dresses Massena Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Woman In Dark Gown Lace Collar Bouquet Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Kail Formal Young Woman In Dark Dress East Liverpool Oh
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s St. Louis Photo Co. Kids In White Dresses St. Louis Mo
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Beebe Well Dressed Family Parents & Baby Denver Colo.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Ernst Young Girl In White Dress & Hat Lancaster Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s New Glasgow Portrait Co. Lady W/ Glasses New Glasgow Ns
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Older Woman Wearing Glasses High Collar Dress Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Reed Family Seated Man W/ Daughter & Son Lynn Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s N. Beatty 3 Children Girl & 2 Boys Sigourney Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Latto Seated Infant In White Gown South Boston Mass.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Smith Young Woman In Black Victorian Dress Chenoa Ill.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Family Portrait Father Mother & Toddler Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Relf Young Man 18 Plaid Suit Watch Chain Neligh Ne
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Goshen Two Young Women Victorian Attire Biddeford Me
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Stephan Infant Girl 4mo White Gown Denver Colorado
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Smith Young Woman In Black Dress Holding Book Chenoa Il
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Middle Aged Mustached Man In Suit & Vest Binghamton 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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