Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bennett Bearded Man in Suit New York NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Mother and Child In Lace Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Orgill Old Lady In Dress Hartford Connecticut
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Husband and Wife In Suit and Dress Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s New York Gallery Cute Boy Portland Oregon
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E.R. Hiatt Two Cute Babies Winchester Indiana
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.F. Ferguson Cute Children Clinton Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Neville Old Woman In Dress Columbus Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Wm. F. Morthorst Young Lady In Dress Rochester NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Geo. R. Elliott Lady In Dress Columbus Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Wm. F. Morhorst Old Lady In Dress Rochester NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.W. Elliott Handsome Man In Suit Columbus OH
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Richards Handsome Man In Suit Newark NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W. Wade Young Man With Suit Quincy Illinois
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Cute Children Fancy Dress Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Nash Cute Baby In White Dress Burlington Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Lady In Dress With Collar Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Clark Young Lady In Dress Wearing Hat Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Thompson & Norvik Two Women Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Unknown Handsome Man with Mustache Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.F. Little Gorgeous Lady Dover NH
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Neal Gorgeous Lady In Dress Dover NH
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A. Grosheim Cute Baby In Dress Muscatine IA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Studio Bowed Girl In Dress Nevada MO
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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