Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD BUSSELL DOCTOR JAMES J. PADULA QUINCY MASSACHUSETTS
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD MAYOR HENRY O. FAIRBANKS OF QUINCY MASSACHUSETTS
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD CATHOLIC REVERAND TIMOTHY DAMAHY MISSIONARY IN SAMOA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD G.W. GIBSON COUPLE IN FRONT OF STOREFRONT COLDSTREAM
CIRCA 1890s 2 CABINET CARDS MEDIC IN UNIFORM ELMER CHICKEWING BOSTON MASS.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD SWORDS BROS YOUNG BOY HOLDING BOW YORK PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD TOMB OF NAPOLEON EMPEROR OF FRANCE PARIS FRANCE
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD SIR FREDRIC LEIGHTON PAINTING OF YOUNG LADY
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD GEORGE BECK AMERICAN POLITICIAN IN THE WYOMING SENATE
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD F.W. GUERIN HUGH DINSMORE CONGRESSMAN FROM ARKANSAW
C. 1890 CABINET CARD SUSAN DRAPER DAUGHTER OF CONFEDERATE GENERAL WILLIAM DRAPER
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD SHIRTLESS FAMOUS SWIMMER NAMED L.D. BLONDELL
1894 CABINET CARD ROMANTIC COUPLE IN HAMMOCK OUTSIDE WITH DOG DETAILED
1898 CABINET CARD HANDSOME YOUNG MEN WITH DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUN NAMED NOTE
C. 1880s CABINET CARD "ABE LINCOLN" MINNIE MAY THOMPSON YOUNG ACTOR CHICAGO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD C.D. FRANK FARM WITH BARN, HORSES, AND WINDMILL
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD LITTLE GIRL IN WHITE DRESS WITH SMALL PUG DOG
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD AFRICAN AMERICAN MAN ACTOR? SMOKING GRANADA FRANCE
C. 1880s CABINET CARD JACOBY OLD BEARDED MAN HOLDING TWO BULLS MINNEAPOLIS MINN.
C. 1890s CABINET CARD COTTAGE STUDIO LITTLE GIRL HOLDING UMBRELLA TEMPLE TEXAS
C. 1880s CABINET CARD ROYAL FAMILY MARY OF TECK QUEEN OF ENGLAND WITH BROTHERS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD SCHOOL TEACHER WITH SCHOOL CHILDREN EDUCATION RARE!
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD YOUNG THEATER ACTORS PERFORMERS IN SLEEPWEAR RARE!
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD J.H. KOERNER MUSICIANS PLAYING CLARINET, VIOLEN, CHELLO
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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