Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hovey Gorgeous Lady In Dress Worcester MA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A.M. Bean Gorgeous Lady In Dress MA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Baumgardner Handsome Man Tiffin Ohio
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Morse Husband Wife San Francisco
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C. Ruxton Handsome Man Albany OR
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E.W. Moore Lady Fancy Dress Salem OR
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Handsome Man In Suit Lincoln NE
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A.C. House Young Ladies South Bend IN
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.H. Clark Old Man with Bow Indianapolis IN
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s G. Ashbaucher Young Couple Bluffton IN
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bonney Gorgeous Lady In Dress Indiana
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Schuyler Young Couple Lincoln NE
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J. Berg Cute Baby in Dress Grand Forks ND
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Max Schneider Old Lady In Dress San Francisco
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Gorgeous Lady In Dress Unmarked
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s John Young Lady In Dress Unmarked
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Rose & Co. Handsome Man Denver CO
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Cherrington Family Salem Oregon
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Caldwell Young Women Brockton MA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A.M. Lyon Women In Dresses Iowa
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W. Smith Gorgeous Lady Malden
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Matousek Handsome Boy In Suit Chicago IL
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Greene Handsome Man In Suit Northboro MA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.R. Call Man with Mustache NH
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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