Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Mckay Baby Gown Chair Victorian Calais me
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s P.A. Johnson Woman White Gown Cumberland WI
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Loeffler Baby George Wood Lace Tompkinsville NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s F. Johnson Two Young Men Bowler Brooklyn NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Djornbek Borata Russian Empire Sailor Suit
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Holmes Baby Long White Gown Studio Fresno Cal
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Friesleben Mother Daughter Victorian Chicago
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s P A Johnson Couple Victorian Cumberland Wis
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Colpitts & CO Gusta Wilson Portrait Lewiston me
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Horge Family Father Mother Minneapolis MN
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W Tuttle Son Young Boy Suit Belfast me
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1900s Young Man Seated Table Holding Open Book Suit
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Frampton & Work Woman Susie Punxsutawney PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Tinkisworth Agler Young Woman Van Wert OH
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Henry Frey Woman Pearl Scranton PA Hyde Park
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Drummond Handsome Young Man Bow Chillicothe OH
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Fc Mader Harvey Morris Trompe Chillicothe OH
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s D L Shalley Jacob Reuben Schindler Berne IND
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Mccahon Two Young Men Brothers Suits Newark OH
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Roy Hume Man Bowler Hat Mustache Lima Lima OH
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Tappan & Connel Man Mustache Tom Wheeling WV
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Loomis Young Man Floral Pattern Parkersburg WV
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Tolman Anna Mccartney Portrait NE City NE
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Sargent Woman Vignette Bust Hamilton OH
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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