Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Unmarked Handsome Man with Mustache in Suit
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s H.B. Read Old Lady In Collar Adams Massachusetts
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Warren G. Foley Gorgeous Lady In Dress Boston
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Unknown Gorgeous Lady in Dress Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s A.R. Newell Gorgeous Lady In Dress Rockville CT
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Man with Mustache In Suit Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Appelquest Gorgeous Lady Middletown Conn
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Kimball Handsome Man In Suit Boston MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s M.E. Tyler Cute Baby In Dress Union City Indiana
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Godfrey Gorgeous Lady With Flowers Rochester NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Lady In Dress With Short Hair Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Fenton Young Handsome Man In Suit Jamestown NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Hendricks Lady In Dress Stamford Conn
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Retter & Waddell Gorgeous Lady Bradford PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s A. Ubrecht Young Handsome Man Allegheny PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Morrison Gorgeous Lady In Dress Pittsburgh PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E.W. Lilley Gorgeous Lady In Dress Olean NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s H. Noss Old Bearded Man In Suit New Brighton PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s D.R. Kellogg Cute Children Reedsburg WI
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Crawford Gorgeous Lady In Dress Morris IL
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Unmarked Young Handsome Man In Suit & Bowtie
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Arthur & Philbric Husband and Wife Detroit
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s John D Kemer Gorgeous Lady In Dress Harrisburg PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s S. Swaine Cute Boy Rochester NH
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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