Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Lady In Fancy Dress With Bow Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.W. Hearn Cute Child In Dress Portland ME
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Underwood Cute Baby In Dress Worcester MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Smith and Buck Cute Baby In Dress Washington DC
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hille Young Boy With Bowtie Chicago IL
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s James F Ryder Young Lady In Dress Cleveland OH
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Wilson Gorgeous Lady In Dress Chicago IL
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J. Winter Cute Baby In Gown Syracuse NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Ladies in Dresses With Hats Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Willis Gorgeous Lady In Dress Milford MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Laughner Cute Baby In Dress Braddock PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Leigh & Naas Cute Baby In Dress Beaver Falls PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s L.N. Dodd Young Boy In Suit Sharon PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s N.S. Hull Gorgeous Lady In Dress Braddock PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Colditz Handsome Man In Suit Rochelle IL
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Anderson Handsome Man in Suit St. Paul MN
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Jackson Young Gorgeous Lady In Bow Portland ME
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E.N. Baldwin Handsome Man With Mustache Cortland OH
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hardie Young Handsome Man In Suit Northampton MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Ferguson Cute Child In Dress Clinton Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A.P. Schadee Handsome Man with Mustache MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Parsons Handsome Man in Suit St. Louis MO
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Roberts & Brooks Cute Baby In Dress Cleveland OH
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J. Green Cute Children in Outfits Braddock 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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