Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Geo. W. Thomas Handsome Man in Suit
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Slocum Gorgeous Lady In Dress Austin MN
ANTIQUE 1885 BOUDOIR CABINET CARD NIAGARA FALLS AMERICAN FALLS FROM GOAT ISLAND
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Ailes Cute Boy Fancy Outfit Cobleskill NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Dellac Gorgeous Lady In Dress NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Ness Young Lady In Dress Cobleskill NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s N.J. Ailes Gorgeous Lady Fancy Dress NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hess Young Lady In Dress Cobleskill NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Cute Baby In Dress Unmarked
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.W. Baldwin Cute Children Westminster MD
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J. Azevedo Cute Baby In Dress New Bedford MA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Old Lady In Shawl Unmarked
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Pearsall Handsome Man in Suit Albany NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Shadle Young Handsome Man In Suit York PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Creatore Cute Boy In Suit Unmarked
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s M.G. Ritter Cute Baby Quakertown PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Cute Girl and Boy in Dress Unmarked
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Cute Boy in Suit Unmarked
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Ostrem Handsome Man With Mustache MA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Applegate Handsome Man In Suit Philadelphia
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.L. Horne Handsome Man Suit Fort Sheridan IL
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Sanders Teenage Boy In Suit Chicago IL
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s T. Haveé Young Handsome Man In Suit CT
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E.C. Langlois Lady In Dress Winooski VT
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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