Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A. Pritchard Family Meriden Connecticut
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Burnham Handsome Man In Suit Burlington VT
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E. Sommer Old Lady With Glasses Philada.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Susong Gorgeous Lady In Lace Des Moines Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.B. Moore Cute Boy In Suit Rochester IN
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Rudd & Murr Cute Girl With Braided Hair Streator IL
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Shaw Lady In Dress Philadelphia PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s P.E. Chillman Gorgeous Lady In Dress Philadelphia
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.C. Powers Cute Baby In Dress Holyoke CO
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.E. Hayes Old Lady Fancy Dress New Haven CT
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s H.L. Bundy Gorgeous Lady In Dress Hartford CT
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Art Cute Girl in Dress Belleville IL
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Beebe Cute Child in Lace Collar Denver CO
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Aufrecht Baby In Gown Pittsburgh PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Sidey Young Couple In Suit Dress Cumberland MD
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s G. Frank Pearsall Old Lady In Dress Brooklyn NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s LeRue Lemer Family Harrisburg Pennsylvania
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lenney Gorgeous Lady In Dress Atlanta GA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Howard Young Lady In Dress Altoona PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.B. King Young Lady In Dress Hagerstown MD
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Otto E. Weber Gorgeous Lady Lancaster PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Cute Baby in White Dress Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Handsome Man with Mustache In Suit Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Woman and Baby In Dress Unmarked
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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