Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD POST CUTE LITTLE GIRL WITH PUG DENVER COLORADO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD GREAT-GRANDMOTHER FOUR GENERATIONS IS DEAD OBITUARY
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD CHANDLER AFRICAN AMERICAN BABY IN WHITE DRESS
c1890s CABINET CARD LUKENS AFRICAN AMERICAN BABY IN WHITE DRESS PHILADELPHIA PA.
CIRCA 1900s CABINET CARD HAVERCAMP HANDSOME AFRICAN AMERICAN MAN CHESTER PENN.
C. 1870s CABINET CARD LADY WITH MINERVA GREEK & ROMAN GODESS BUST CANTON OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICAN BOY ON FARM WITH SMALL COW
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS HOLDING PURSE
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD GORGEOUS YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICAN LADY IN WHITE DRESS
c1880s CABINET CARD AFRICAN AMERICAN MAN WITH MUSTACHE NAMED FLORENCE HARRINGTON
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD RUTHERFORD B. HAYES DOPPLE GANGER LOOK ALIKE NEW YORK
c1870s CABINET CARD BERGAMASCO QUEEN ALEXANDRA OF DENMARK ST. PETERSBOURG RUSSIA
C. 1890s CABINET CARD ARTHUR FINGER WILHELM II FAMILY LAST GERMAN EMPEROR BERLIN
C. 1890s CABINET CARD ARTHUR FINGER WILHELM II FAMILY LAST GERMAN EMPEROR BERLIN
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD FAMILY OUTSIDE OF HOUSE TREES DETAILED NAMED ON BACK
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD FAMILY OUTSIDE OF HOUSE OXEN PICKET FENCE DETAILED
CIRCA 1880s SQUARE CABINET CARD AFRICAN AMERICAN LADY IN BLACK VICTORIAN DRESS
c1890s CABINET CARD HIRED AFRICAN AMERICAN MAN WITH WHITE FAMILY SPRINGFIELD ILL
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD F. CASTLE HANDSOME AFRICAN AMERICAN MAN WASHINGTON D.C.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD JACKSON AFRICAN AMERICAN BABY BROOKLYN NEW YORK
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD GARNS HANDSOME AFRICAN AMERICAN MAN PHILADELPHIA PENN.
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD STEINER HANDSOME AFRICAN AMERICAN MAN JERSEY CITY NJ
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HANDSOME AFRICAN AMERICAN MAN ON FRONT PORCH WITH CANE
CIRCA 1900s CABINET CARD AFRICAN AMERICAN REVEREND PRIEST NAMED J.H. WESS
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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