Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Miller Handsome Man with Mustache Ashland OH
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s F.E. Paine Handsome Man With Mustache Plymouth
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Shadle & Busser Lady In Dress York PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s M.Kenyon Young Man in Suit Washington DC
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s North Old Lady in Dress Bainbridge NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Man with Mustache and Suit Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Conly Old Bearded Man In Suit Boston MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s B.B. Vickery Handsome Man with Mustache Haverhill MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Imperial Handsome Man In Suit San Francisco
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Barton Cute Child In Dress N Anson ME
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s W.C. Frier Man with Mustache Denver Colorado
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Cobb Handsome Bearded Man in Suit Binghamton NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Downing Handsome Man with Mustache Topeka KS
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s H.G. Brown Handsome Bearded Man Saratoga NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s F.S. Biddle Family with Baby Xenia Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s E.C. Adams Husband and Wife Central Square
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s D.A. Foote Old Bearded Man Wolcott NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s J.S. Fritz Handsome Man With Mustache PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s W.H. Abbott Man with Mustache Little Falls NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s H.O. Reed Old Lady With Bow Brunswick ME
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Jackson Man with Mustache Owego NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Manning Young Lady in Dress Georgetown Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Coleman & Remington Handsome Man with Mustache RI
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s A.M. Intyre Family Putnam CT
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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