Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Smith Gorgeous Lady In Dress Lockport NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s H.M. Holtz Cute Boy In Suit Lorain Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Brecht Young Lady Fancy Dress York PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Lemer Lady In Glasses Harrisburg PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s NY Gallery Lady With Glasses Reading PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Paige Lady In Elegant Gown Waukesha Wisconsin
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s F. Paige Gorgeous Lady In Dress Waukesha WI
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Rabineau Old Lady in Dress Albany NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s R.T. Jones Cute Baby In Dress Greencastle IN
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Unknown Gorgeous Lady In Dress Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s A.B. Cross Gorgeous Lady In Dress Springfield MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Knowd Cute Baby in Bonnet Paterson NJ
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Four Girls in Dresses Unknown
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Hector Kraus Cute Child Fancy Dress Harrisburg PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Young Lady In Dress With Curly Hair Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Logan Cute Baby in Dress Fargo Dakota
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Postrick Young Man In Suit New York NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s A.L. Rogers Lady In Elegant Gown Baltimore MD
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s C.S. Roshon Lady In Dress Pillow Pennsylvania
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Pearl Handsome Man In Suit Rochester NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Unknown Gorgeous Lady With Lace Collar
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s S.S. Haswell Gorgeous Lady In Dress Salem MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Robinson & Thompson Old Lady Liverpool
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s S.W. Douglass Handsome Man In Suit 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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