Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Elcar Old Man with Mustache In Suit Huntington IN
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s H.W. Hutchinson Lady with Child Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Heath Gorgeous Lady In Dress Bangor ME
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s M.D. Goodlander Family Muncie Indiana
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s O'Keefe & Stockdorf Couple Leadville Colorado
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s H.R. Pattison Handsome Man In Suit Minden Neb.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lupton Handsome Man with Mustache Burlington Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Newell Handsome Man with Mustache Conn.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Braas Handsome Man with Mustache Seattle WA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Nicolini Gorgeous Lady In Dress Chicago
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.W. Baker Boy In Suit San Francisco California
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J. Leschinsky Handsome Man with Mustache NE
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Baker Handsome Man with Mustache In Suit Detroit
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s McKinney Old Bearded Man Aledo Illinois
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Nichols Handsome Man with Mustache Macon MO
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Van Deventer Young Man in Suit Carlinville IL
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.F. Ferguson Husband and Wife Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Shomber Handsome Man With Mustache Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lehigh Gallery Handsome Man with Mustache Easton PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W. Ashman Handsome Man in Suit Baltimore
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Jones Gorgeous Lady In Hat Fort Wayne Ind
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s R.V. Downey Handsome Man with Mustache
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hagendorff Husband Wife Couple Milwaukee Wisconsin
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Wright & Holloway Old Bearded Man Terre Haute
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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