Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s G.M. Mathis Cute Baby in Gown Peoria Illinois
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Fawcett Family Portrait Winona Minnesota
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Unknown Gorgeous Lady In Dress Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.F. Ferguson Handsome Man In Suit Clinton Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hatch & White Handsome Man In Suit Burlington WI
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Quartley Gorgeous Lady In Dress Baltimore MD
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Husband and Wife Romantic Couple Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hotchkiss Old Lady With Bonnet Kankakee IL
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Kellogg Husband and Wife Romantic Couple Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s S.A. Cope Handsome Man With Mustache Norristown PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Saylor Cute Baby In Dress Reading Pennsylvania
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Novelty Photo Co Gorgeous Lady In Dress Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Newman Gorgeous Lady in Dress New York
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Sorniesky Gorgeous Lady in Dress Pottstown PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Gardner & Co Gorgeous Lady In Dress Brooklyn
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Chas. A. Saylor Gorgeous Lady In Dress Reading PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Ritz Young Lady In Fancy Dress Boston
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Prof. Ehrlich Gorgeous Lady Fancy Dress New York
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Unknown Husband and Wife Romantic Couple Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Choate Gorgeous Lady In Dress Carlisle PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A.S. Holcomb Handsome Man With Mustache
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Man in Suit Arlington Minneapolis MN
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.H. Kohlboy Man with Mustache Pittsburgh PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.F. Turner Gorgeous Lady In Dress Janesville
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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