Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bashbaucher Cute Baby In White Dress Bluffton IN
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Handsome Man With Mustache In Suit Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s B. Ashbaucher Handsome Young Man Suit Bluffton IN
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s M.m. Mcchesney Cute Baby In White Dress IA Falls IA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Jackson & Kinney Gorgeous Lady Lace Trim Portland
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Foley Black Gorgeous Lady Curly Hair Lace Collar Boston
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s E. Goff Two Gorgeous Young Ladies In Lace Chase KS
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s John Christoph Two Cute Young Boys Ellinwood KS
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Brua And Glaze Family Man Mustache Woman Lyons KS
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Grindal Cute Baby In Long Lace Dress Lindsborg KS
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Gronal Young Gorgeous Lady In Dress Burlington KS
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W. R. Ireland Young Gorgeous Lady Dress Holton KS
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s A. C. Hamilton Handsome Man with Mustac Lawrence KS
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hallock Cute Baby In Long White Dress Peotone
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Richardson And Foster Two Young Ladies Sparta
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s M. I. Kanevtsova Cute Boy And Girl Armavir Russia
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s B. Ashbaucher Young Husband And Wife Couple Bluffton IN
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C. T. Judd Cute Children In Plaid & Baby Chicago
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Houghton Portrait Gallery Family Mondovi WI
Cabinet Card Circa 1900s Royal Studio Gorgeous Young Lady Bluffton IN
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Wm. Kasten Young Gorgeous Lady Dress Hat Freeport
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.s. Saurman Husband Wife Romantic Couple St. Joseph
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s L.c. Perkinson Young Gorgeous Lady NY NY
Cabinet Card Handsome Man Mustache 35th Usv Vancouver WA
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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