Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s F.C. Flint Cute Child In Dress Syracuse NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Husband and Wife Romantic Couple Springfield OR
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W. Shaw Warren Gorgeous Lady In Lace Boston MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hardy Old Lady In Dress Boston Massachusetts
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Pelham Studio Old Bearded Man Boston
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hardy Cute Child in Dress Boston MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hardy Gorgeous Lady In Dress Boston MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hardy Gorgeous Lady In Dress Boston MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hardy Lady In Dress Boston Massachusetts
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s M. Thomas Cute Baby In Dress Shamokin PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hardy Cute Boy in Suit Boston Massachusetts
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Warren Bearded Man In Suit Boston MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A.T. Wood Husband and Wife Kalamazoo MI
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Litchfield Cute Baby in Gown Arlington MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E.F. Feiger Lady In Lace Pomeroy Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Thomas Gorgeous Lady in Dress Ottumwa Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s G. W. Smith Young Man In Suit Boston MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Edgeworth Art Co. Old Lady In Dress Chicago
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Benj. A. Minton Handsome Man with Mustache Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Ralph Mineart Cute Baby In Dress Pittsburgh PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Feiger Old Lady With Glasses Pomeroy Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.A. Brownell Gorgeous Lady In Dress Cincinnati Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bryant Young Lady In Dress La Porte Indiana
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Guiwits & Cameron Old Lady Richfield Springs 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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