Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Krupp Wedding Couple Woman Dark Dress Veil Saginaw Mich
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Baker Wedding Couple Bride Lace Gown Saginaw Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Wise Elderly Woman Shawl Bible Janesville Wisconsin
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Fowler Two Men in Suits and Hats Lindsay Ontario Canada
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bradshaw Henry & Inga Hansen Wedding Larimore N. Dakota
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Smith Wedding Couple Man Seated Woman Saginaw Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Beckmann Young Wedding Couple Bride Groom Saginaw Mich
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Beckmann Wedding Couple Bride Groom Saginaw Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Beckmann Wedding Couple Bride Groom Saginaw Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Geo. W. Wise Wedding Couple Man Woman Janesville Wis.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Baker Victorian Wedding Party Bride Groom Mayville Mich
Cabinet Card C. 1890s Smith Six Gorgeous Women Group Portrait Bay City Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Harman & Verner Bride & Groom Wedding Bay City Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Beckmann Young Couple Formal Attire Saginaw Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Beckmann Young Couple Bride Puff Sleeves Saginaw Mich.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bride & Groom Wedding Portrait Long Veil Bay City Mich.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s M. G. Harriman Elderly Couple Bonett Cheboygan Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bracegirdle Five Men in Suits With Pipe Bay City Mich
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Church Sanctuary Balcony Gothic Window Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s St. John's Monk Priest Religious Habit Collegeville
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C. J. Nelson Bride Groom Wedding Portrait Clarinda Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Lutge Wedding Couple Bride Dark Dress Detroit Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.b. Colburn Young Boy Lace Collared Coat Bay City
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Harman & Verner Young Woman Ruffled Dress Bay City 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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