Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Ingalls Man with Mustache New Vineyard ME
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s G. Renwick Old Man With Bow Tie Burton on Trent
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s F.A. Webster Handsome Man with Mustache Oakland CA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Crabtree Bros Husband Wife Stella Nebraska
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J. Willison Husband and Wife Gibson City IL
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Alvin Wuensche Young Girl In Dress St. Louis MO
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Randall Bearded Man In Suit Germantown Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Anders Handsome Man In Suit LaGrange IN
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Kozorek Handsome Man with Mustache New Bedford MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Stevens Cute Baby in Gown Chicago Illinois
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Erler Gorgeous Lady In Dress Peoria IL
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Wimer Husband Wife Romantic Couple Lewistown PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Roshon Gorgeous Lady Striped Dress Lebanon PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Kottmann Gorgeous Lady In Dress Altoona PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.N. Overton Gorgeous Lady Cortland NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Naegeli Gorgeous Lady With Curly Hair NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Desclos Bros Family Portrait Manchester NH
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Shaw Young Boy and Baby Manchester NH
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.P. Cuddy Old Lady In Dress Somersworth NH
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s V.A. Lesher Handsome Man in Suit Altoona PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Shaw Gorgeous Lady In Dress Pueblo Colorado
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Detrich Gorgeous Lady In Dress Altoona PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Pearson Gorgeous Lady In Fancy Dress Des Moines IA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s F.J. Williams Young Lady In Dress Natick MA
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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