Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lee Bros Handsome Young Man Suit Minneapolis MN
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Victorian Woman Intricate Collar
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Dapper Young Man 3-Piece Suit Watch Chain Derby
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Scalloped Edge Pretty Victorian Woman Curly
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Charles S Hart Brother Sister Boy Watertown NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Aunt Nell Young Victorian Woman High Collar
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Naegeli Young Victorian Woman Union Sq NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hm Vaupel Portrait Mature Woman Lace Collar NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Window & Grove Handsome Man Mustache London UK
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Man Tom Wimer Patterned Necktie Suit
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Peterzen & Franke Family Sundsvall Sweden
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Boy Standing Double Breasted Coat Chair
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Handsome Young Man Pinstripe Vest Suit Tie
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Elderly Victorian Woman High Collar Dark Dress
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Handsome Standing Man Striped Pants Bohna
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Little Boy Heavy Double Breasted Winter Coat
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Doane Young Couple Wicker Chair Victorian White
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Jarvis Woman Victorian Bustle Dress Lace Collar
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Two Young Boys Brothers in Suits Studio
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Robt J Davis Age 21 Young Man Mustache Suit
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Child Bonnet Embroidered Coat Steps
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Rossbach Baby Infant White Gown Jersey City NJ
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W E Service Cute Baby White Gown Bridgeton NJ
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A.M. Smith Mustache Man Suit Tie Newark NJ
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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