Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s M. Harcourt Handsome Young Man Suit Kalkaska Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Schellhous Young Lady in Dress Ha Grand Rapids, Michiga
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Marks Cute Baby In Lace Dress Bay City Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Miller's Young Gorgeous Lady in Lace Bay City, Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Cute Young Girl In White Ruffled Dress Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Drago Handsome Young Man Suit Bow Tie Bay City Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Drago Cute Young Boy In Suit Holding Book Bay City
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Marks Two Cute Young Boys In Matching Suits Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s George F. Sterling Young Lady West Bay City Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Drago Handsome Young Man with Mustach Bay City, Michiga
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Drago Three Cute Children Bay City Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Drago Young Handsome Man In Suit Bay City Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s George W. Miller Old Lady Lace Dress West Bay City
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Gorgeous Lady In Ornate Dark Lace Dress Unmarked
African American Black Nanny & White Child Cabinet Card Springfield Ohio 1870s
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Sidney Phoebe William Henry and His Wife in Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Farman Family 10 People Victorian Formal Bay City Mich.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Five Siblings Group Portrait Ruffled Collars Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Krupp Two Young Women Dark Victorian Dresses Saginaw
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Smith Family Portrait Woman Man Boy Saginaw Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Four Children Siblings Plaid Dress Sailor Suit Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Drago Family Portrait Man Woman Two Boys Bay City Mich.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Smith Bride & Groom Victorian Wedding Saginaw Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Smith Bride & Groom Wedding Portrait East Saginaw Mich.
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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