Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Searles Handsome Man In Suit Reading PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Elmer Chickering Boy in Suit Boston MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s G. Perrault Cute Baby in Dress West Gardner MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W. Wollensak Handsome Man with Mustache Milwaukee WI
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.J. Smith Handsome Man with Mustache Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Roger Young Lady In Glasses Watertown MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A. Verryck Bearded Man Anvers
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.H. Burgener Bearded Man Harper Kansas
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Excelsior Studio Young Lady Baltimore MD
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hutchings Family in Formal Attire Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Man with Mustache In Suit Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.P. Johnson Man with Mustache Edgerton Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s King Handsome Young Man With Bowtie Hagerstown MD
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bachrach Bearded Man In Suit Baltimore
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Towne Handsome Man with Mustache Troy NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Wheeler Bearded Man In Suit Pittsfield MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Morse Old Bearded Man In Suit San Francisco
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.A. Hazer Handsome Man with Mustache Syracuse NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s S.S. Haswell Handsome Man with Mustache Salem MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.H. Tipton Handsome Man with Mustache PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bearded Man In Suit Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Davison Handsome Man With Mustache Polo IL
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s B.P. Schillman Handsome Man with Mustache Philadelphia
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.J. Howe Handsome Man with Mustache 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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