Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Douglass Cute Baby in Dress Brooklyn NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Unknown Young Handsome Man in Suit Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Havens Cute Baby In Dress Gloversville NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Strunk Cute Child in Dress Reading PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s O.N. Bigden Gorgeous Lady In Dress Buffalo NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s F.F. Dunshee Gorgeous Lady In Dress Boston
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s P. Rosencrantz Gorgeous Lady in Fancy Dress
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Wint Lady In Dress Allentown PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Sword Handsome Man with Mustache Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Old Lady In Dress Unknown Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E.D. Jeanes Gorgeous Lady In Dress Allentown PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Godfrey & Co. Old Lady In Dress Chicago
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Unknown Old Lady In Dress Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s S. Choate Old Lady In Dress Cumberland MD
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Moore Young Gorgeous Lady In Dress Rutland VT
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Unknown Old Lady In Dress Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Abbott Gorgeous Lady In Dress Johnstown NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Towne Gorgeous Lady In Dress Boston Mass
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Wareham Old Lady in Dress Freeport IL
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s H.M. Smith Old Lady In Dress Portland ME
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Cross Gorgeous Lady In Dress Boston
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Thompson Handsome Man in Suit Orange MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s M. DeVer Westcott Husband and Wife Oxford NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.H. Saul Young Girl In Dress New York 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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