Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E. Grov Cute Young Boy Emil A. George Winona Minnesota
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Rice Cute Young Boy Ralph Hayes Chase Worcester
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.l. Hunt Handsome Young Man In Suit Franklin Falls
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Houghton & Saxe Cute Baby Boy In Dress Plainview
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Morgeneier And Deguire Cute Baby Winona Minnesota
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Drew & Boomer Young Gorgeous Lady Dover New Hampshire
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Handsome Man With Mustache Frank Staples Hayes Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Beers Cute Young Boy In Plaid Bow Tie New Haven
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s F. G. Moon Cute Baby In White Lace Dress Tilton
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Barr Cute Baby Henry Carl George Winona Minnesota
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Gibson Old Lady In Patterned Dress Ann Arbor Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s M. C. Harriman Family Man Mustache Woman Girl Cheboygan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s G. F. Sterling Gorgeous Young Lady West Bay City
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Schenck Young Gorgeous Lady In Dress Minerva Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Henshel Young Gorgeous Lady High Collar Chicago
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lady In Dark Lace Dress With Pointed Collar Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J. Forster & Son Cute Child In Dress Detroit Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C. A. Hoskins Gorgeous Young Lady Cheboygan Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J. Forster & Son Cute Young Girl Detroit Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Baker Gorgeous Young Lady In Ruffled Dress Detroit
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Harman & Verner Husband & Wife Couple Bay City
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J. A. Rogers Young Lady High Collar Uhrichsville Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Johnson Cute Young Girl With Flower Chicago Illinois
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Paul Prescher Husband & Wife Romantic Couple Milwaukee
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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