Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s L. Stearns Gorgeous Lady Wilkes Barre PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Hendricks Lady In Dress Stamford CT
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Eastman Cute Baby In Dress Portland OR
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Thos. W. Taylor Lady In Dress Brooklyn NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s H.W. Craig Cute Child Marietta OH
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Scott Old Lady In Dress Hume NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Essler Brown Cute Boy St. Paul Minnesota
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s C.L. Kempf Family Brooklyn NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Young Girl and Boy in Dress Unmarked
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Hubley Handsome Man Lancaster PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1880s P.M. Goettel Cute Boy in Suit Sunbury PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Vasbinder Young Cute Baby Du Bois PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Handsome Man Wearing Suit Boston MA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s F.E. North Gorgeous Lady West Springfield MA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Newell Handsome Man in Suit Rockville CT
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Colby Wilson Lady Fancy Dress Meredith NH
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Eric Peterson Young Ladies Norrköping
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bullard Gorgeous Lady Lace Dress NH
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s R.M. Smith Gorgeous Lady Indiana PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hendricks & Co Cute Baby Allegheny PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.A.R. Smith Cute Children Allegheny PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Cute Baby In Dress Unmarked
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Cute Children In Dress Unmarked
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s S.A. Bowers Gorgeous Lady Concord 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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