Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Cramer Old Lady In Dress San Francisco CA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Godfrey Handsome Man with Mustache Rochester NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Geo. H. Hastings Man with Mustache Boston MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Ramsdell Handsome Man with Mustache CT
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Handsome Man with Beard In Suit Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Pflaum Gorgeous Lady In Dress San Francisco
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Hartley Handsome Man with Mustache Chicago
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Orgill Handsome Man with Mustache Hartford CT
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Fred H. Pray Young Woman Fancy Collar
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Asher Young Lady In Dress Sacramento CA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Decker Wilber Bearded Man In Suit Cleveland OH
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s W. Notman Handsome Bearded Man Boston MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s H.G. Smith Handsome Bearded Man Boston
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Taylor & Brown Bearded Man In Suit Philadelphia PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Semple & Stein Gorgeous Lady With Glasses NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s C. Evick Handsome Man with Mustache Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s A.K.P. Trask Handsome Man with Mustache Phila PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Ostwick Handsome Man with Mustache New York
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s G.W. Phares Handsome Man In Suit Kansas City
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Antrim Gorgeous Lady Fancy Dress Washington DC
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Jordan Young Woman In Dress Washington DC
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Edouart & Cobb Old Lady In Dress San Francisco
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s A. Sklington Gorgeous Lady In Dress Kansas
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s J.B. Johnson Gorgeous Lady In Embroidered Dress
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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