Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Peterzen & Franke Family Sundsvall
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Cute Boy In Outfit Leaning On Chair
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Handsome Man in Suit Unmarked
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Old Lady In Dress Unmarked
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bearded Man In Suit Bohna
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Cute Boy In Coat and Hat Unmarked
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Doane Romantic Couple Unmarked
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Jarvis Lady In Dress Unmarked
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Two Boys in Suits Unmarked
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s R. S. Davis Handsome Man with Mustache
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Cute Child In Dress Unmarked
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Rossbach Cute Baby in Dress Jersey City NJ
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Wm. E. Service Cute Baby Bridgeton NJ
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s I.M. Smith Handsome Man with Mustache NJ
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Cute Baby in Dress Phillipsburg NJ
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Cornell Saunders Lady In Dress Rochester NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A.E. Dumble Cute Girl Rochester NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Roshon Gorgeous Lady Harrisburg PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.D. Lemer Gorgeous Lady Harrisburg PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A.S. Schreckengost Cute Baby Kittanning PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J. Dippel Husband and Wife Milton PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s B. Camp Old Bearded Man & Wife
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Saylor Lady In Dress Reading PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.C. Bell Cute Baby York 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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