Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Latour Handsome Man with Mustache Unknown
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Hover Handsome Man In Suit Fort Wayne Indiana
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Boyd Bearded Man in Suit Des Moines Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Cummings Young Handsome Man Lancaster PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Applegate Gorgeous Lady In Dress Phila
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s A.M. McKenney Old Lady in Hat Portland ME
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Hutchings Husband and Wife Romantic Couple
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Winkler Gorgeous Lady In Fancy Dress St. Louis MO
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Perry Seits Gorgeous Lady In Dress Denver CO
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s S.D. Harvey Old Couple In Dark Clothes Shelton NE
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Meinert Man with Mustache Albany NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Jno. J. Buell Old Woman In Fancy Dress Geneseo IL
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Eric Sjöqvist Young Man In Uniform Örebro Sweden
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Semple Cute Children in Dresses Albany NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s S. Choate Young Couple In Cumberland MD
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lacey Cute Baby In Dress Indianapolis IN
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Unknown Young Man In Suit Prentiss Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Howard Handsome Young Man In Suit Altoona PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s M.D. Cobleigh Cute Child In Dress Littleton NH
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Schultz Handsome Man in Suit Chicago Illinois
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Unknown Handsome Man In Suit Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Rogers Young Lady In Dress Olympia WA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W. Smith Gorgeous Lady in Dress Malden MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Veeder Young Lady In Dress Albany NY
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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