Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s F.M. Stowell Cute Children Fancy Attire Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Whitman Gorgeous Lady In Lace Steelton PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A. McCormick Lady In Dress Oxford PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s John G. Leiser Gorgeous Lady In Dress Hanover PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Floyd Gorgeous Lady Fancy Dress Lock Haven PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s T.D. Gehring Husband Wife Couple Lyons NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s U.S. Portrait Co Cute Child Brooklyn NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Halbert Young Handsome Man In Suit Strykersville NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lee Gorgeous Lady In Dress Rochester NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.H. Stubbs Cute Child Fancy Dress Crewe
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Marratt Children in Dresses Detroit Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s New Photo Co. Gorgeous Lady in Dress Baltimore
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Sprenger Old Bearded Man In Suit Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E.J. Poisson Lady In Fancy Dress Westbrook ME
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Grandma with Boys Brunivista NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Strauss Gorgeous Lady In Dress St. Louis MO
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Otto J. Frank Young Gorgeous Lady New York
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Enretcin Co Old Lady In Dress Philadelphia PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Stimson Cute Child In Dress Appleton WI
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s R. Fritz Husband and Wife Clinton Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Garns & Co Cute Baby in Dress Camden NJ
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Wm. B. Pearson Gorgeous Lady Fancy Dress Mercer PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s R.T. Alderman Gorgeous Lady In Dress Somerville MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A.M. Wilkes Handsome Man In Suit Baltimore
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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