Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Antique Cabinet Card Kiefer Woman Polka Dot Star Pattern Dress Portsmouth OH
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Antique Cabinet Card Two Young Children Siblings Victorian Embossed Card Mount
Antique Cabinet Card Young Woman Seated Long White Lace Dress Studio Portrait
Antique Cabinet Card Little Boy Striped Suit Big Collar Armchair Portrait
Antique Cabinet Card Girl Long Hair White Dress Rustic Twig Branch Chair Studio
Antique Cabinet Card Five Young Children Siblings Sailor Suit Lace Dress
Antique Cabinet Card Two Babies White Dresses Outdoors Ivy Covered Building
Antique Cabinet Card Baby Long White Christening Gown Floral Pattern Armchair
Antique Cabinet Card Miller Two Victorian Women Edwardian Blouses Bow Hair
Antique Cabinet Card Two Young Girls Sisters White Lace Dresses Studio Portrait
Antique Cabinet Card Baby Infant White Christening Gown High Chair Portrait
Antique Cabinet Card Vignette Bust Portrait Elderly Woman Lace Bonnet Bow Tie
Antique Cabinet Card Diamond Mount Grandmother Grandbaby Mrs Waters Portrait
Antique Cabinet Card Baby Infant White Gown Wicker Chair Bloomfield Dexter MO
Antique Cabinet Card Two Women Long White Dresses Parasol Umbrella Yard Garden
Antique Cabinet Card V & H Studio Mrs Weimer Portrait Puffed Sleeve Orange NJ
Antique Cabinet Card NY Gallery Woman High Collar Puffy Sleeve or City
Antique Cabinet Card Mackey Goff Young Man Outdoor Portrait Chair Medusa NY
Antique Cabinet Card Baumgardner Woman Winter Coat Fur Muff Springfield OH
Antique Cabinet Card Young & Carl Girl First Communion Cincinnati OH
Antique Cabinet Card Darnell Man 3 Piece Suit Hat Picket Fence Cumberland MD
Antique Cabinet Card Fowler Bros Man Large Mustache Suit WA Pa WA PA
Antique Cabinet Card Handsome Man Mustache Bow Tie Pinstripe Coat Albany NY
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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