Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Husband and Wife Romantic Couple Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s D.I. Gordon Gorgeous Lady Fancy Dress Pocomoke City MD
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W. Wollensak Lady In Dress Milwaukee WI
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J. Rippel Old Bearded Man Wife Milton PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.D. Strunk Lady In Glasses Reading PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Logan Cute Child In Dress Fargo North Dakota
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.E. Hale Cute Children Seneca Falls NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Egge Cute Girl and Baby In Dress Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Shadle & Busser Young Lady In Dress York PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Cute Girl Wearing Hat Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Rotz Husband and Wife Romantic Couple
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.C. Higgins Husband and Wife Bath ME
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.S. Roshon Gorgeous Lady In Dress Lebanon PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Sarony Old Lady In Bonnet New York
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Schenck Gorgeous Lady In Dress Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Jas. M. Don Lady In Dress Ogdensburg NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Neal Gorgeous Lady In Fur Collar New Market NH
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Shriver Family Harrisburg Pennsylvania
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Rote Husband and Wife Romantic Couple Lancaster PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Unknown Cute Children In White Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Fr. Tenhompel Gorgeous Lady In Dress New York
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Kruxofer Old Lady Fancy Dress Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J. Nusse Young Couple Harrisburg PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Unknown Young Lady In Dress Holding Book
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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