Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Handsome Young Man Three Piece Suit Collar
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s H Townsend Woman High Collar Willimantic Conn
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1900s Wm Bailey Victorian Young Woman Columbia PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1870s Bearded Man Vignette Bust Portrait Suit Coat
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Howland Man Mustache Spectacles Cincinnati OH
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hulbert Two Young Girls Victorian Middleport O
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.P. Egbert Seated Woman Dress Atlantic IA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s J D Lewis Baby Infant Lace Gown Kingston NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1870s Mandeville Handsome Man Mustache Lowville NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Steinman Man Sideburns Mustache Philadelphia PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.W. Price Clara Pearl Collar Derby CT
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s M.A. Loomis Two Young Women Sisters Jefferson
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Geo Johnston Husband Wife Hartford City IND
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Mandeville Mustache Man Suit Lowville NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Cottage Gallery Well Dressed St Joseph MO
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Board & Mcdonald Young Man Suit Coshocton OH
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Battels Handsome Man Long Goatee Beard Akron OH
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Fredricks Handsome Young Man Mustache New NY NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Wood Studio Woman Pattern Scarf Carthage MO
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hart Studio Young Girl Short Bangs Carthage NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lc Fowler Young Man Three Piece Lancaster PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1886 Perkins Woman Mrs Joseph Wilson San Francisco CA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s J.P. Silver Moustached Man Suit Philadelphia PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Brown Two Young Brothers Plaid Marshalltown IA
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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