Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Chiesa Della Nunziata Basilica Architecture Genoa Italy
Cabinet Card F. G. O. Stuart Bank Of England Architecture London England
Cabinet Card Parker Unusual Young Boy Next to Pair of Boots Syracuse New York
Cabinet Card L. Bresslmair Post Mortem Child Flowers Candles Meran Italy
Cabinet Card W. B. King Cute Boy In Dress Reading Book Hagerstown Maryland
1885 Cabinet Card P.T. Barnum Showman Circus Portrait Signed Autographed NY
Cabinet Card Richardson Floral Memorial Funeral Young Lady Nora E Liverpool OH
Cabinet Card Snook Memorial Floral Wreaths Portraits Man And Woman Akron Ohio
Cabinet Card E.W. Cook Man In Front Of Large Victorian House Albany New York
Cabinet Card Rossiter 3 Cute Young Girls Holding Hands St. Ansgar Iowa
Cabinet Card Hewitt Handsome Man And Two Young Women Holding Hands Salem Ohio
Cabinet Card J.F. Ryder Richard Gilmour Catholic Bishop of Cleveland Christian
Cabinet Card A. C. Falor Cute Young Girl & Boy In Prop Boat Hats Berea Ohio
Cabinet Card Young Lady Maggie Crabtree in Dress Puffed Sleeves Unmarked
Cabinet Card H. W. Osgood Three Generations Of Church Pittsfield New Hampshire
Cabinet Card J.D. Gress & Co. Cute Children Dog Tricycle Upper Sandusky Ohio
Cabinet Card Newsboy Actress Lillian Russell Gorgeous Victorian Lady New York NY
Cabinet Card Lane Young Lady Laying In Hammock Rising City Rapid City Nebraska
Cabinet Card Rose & Co. Four Young Ladies In Victorian Dresses & Hats Denver CO.
Cabinet Card Krumhar & Stiles Handsome Man In Clerical Robes Cleveland Ohio
Cabinet Card Rose & Co. Four Young Women In Victorian Dresses Denver Colorado
Cabinet Card Circa Cute Baby in Ornate Wicker Carriage with Parasol LA Unmarke
Cabinet Card Victorian Bunker Hill Monument Obelisk Charlestown Massachusetts
Cabinet Card WM. Robinson Roman Catholic Priest Suitbert Mollinger Pittsburgh Pa
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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