Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Knight Cute Baby In Dress New Britain Conn
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Werst Family Quakertown Pennsylvania
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Mensil Cute Baby in Dress Carrollton Missouri
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Gessinger Gorgeous Lady With Necklace Philadelphia
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s M. Fell Handsome Man In Suit Chicago
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Old Lady In Dress Delta Pennsylvania
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s H.W. Fell Gorgeous Lady In Dress Chicago
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Ganiere & Layton Romantic Couple Chicago
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Reeder & Downing Old Lady In Dress Muncy Pennsylvania
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Waltermire Young Lady In Dress Lincoln Nebraska
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bo Quatha Old Lady In Dress Delaware Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hartford Cute Baby In Dress Boston MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s F.A. Place Bearded Man In Suit Warsaw IN
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Gardner Old Lady In Dress Biddeford Maine
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Chas. L. Hearn Lady In Dress Portland Maine
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Dana Bearded Man in Suit New York
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Horning Gorgeous Lady In Dress Philadelphia
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Rud. Bachmann Handsome Man with Mustache NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s P. Nadler Gorgeous Lady With Fancy Dress
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s A. Liv Lady In Dress Elizabeth NJ
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Plamley Gorgeous Lady In Dress Baltimore
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Millard Handsome Man in Suit Detroit MI
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.W. Baldwin Handsome Man In Suit Westminster
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Cramer Handsome Man In Suit San Francisco
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.
Have Cabinet Cards to sell?
We buy cabinet card singly or by the lot. Send a few photos and we'll have an offer back in 24–48 hours.
Get an offer →