Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s T.C. Knight Old Lady in Lace Ca Haverhill, Massachusett
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J. E. Harmon Cute Baby Gertrude Wells Maker Hiawatha
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Handsome Man In Suit With Bow Tie Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Rice Gorgeous Lady In Dress Worcester Massachusetts
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Gorgeous Lady In Dark Dress Lace Collar Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Handsome Young Man In Suit With Bow Tie Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bell & Courtright Lady Sarah Weigand Ft Madison
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A. Martin Handsome Young Man Striped Suit Denver
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Evans Cute Baby In Long White Lace Dress Hiawatha
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Talbot Lady In Dress Wearing Glasses Loveland Colorado
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lupton Cute Baby In White Lace Dress Burlington Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Pratt Young Handsome Man In Suit Denver Colorado
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s G.w. Potter Husband & Wife Romantic Couple Carthage
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Harry Young Gorgeous Lady Dress Steubenville Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s F. Jay Haynes & Bro. Cute Young Boy Suit St. Paul
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Chas. Jenkins Cute Young Girl In White Dress Harris
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s H. J. Buss Two Cute Young Boys Suits Fond Du Lac
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Harry Young Gorgeous Lady Bouquet Steubenville Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.C. Haring Young Gorgeous Lady with Cho Massillon, Ohi
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lindquist Old Lady In Pleated Dress Superior
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s St. Clair Young Gorgeous Lady Lace Collar Jackson Mich.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Ritchie Bros. Cute Young Girl Lace Dress Centralia
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Runions Victorian Family Man Mustache Avonmore Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Crowell Gorgeous Lady In Patterned Dress Rochester
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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