Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Chas. V. Hamer Cute Baby Columbus OH
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Wallis & Reynolds Cute Baby Nottingham
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Smith & Shultz Old Lady Zanesville Ohio
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Jordan Lady In Dress New York NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Kelly Young Lady Fancy Dress Ann Arbor MI
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J. Holdmann Gorgeous Lady Chicago IL
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Handsome Young Man in Suit Unmarked
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Theo. Marceau Couple San Francisco
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Kelley Gorgeous Lady In Dress Ann Arbor MI
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s McGoun Old Man with Mustache Crystal Falls MI
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A.S. Steele Cute Baby Oberlin Kansas
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Unmarked Handsome Couple
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s F. Lawrence Handsome Man Worcester MA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Neal Gorgeous Lady In Fancy Dress Dover NH
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Dow Old Lady In Dress Ogdensburg NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Neal Lady In Dress Fancy Dover NH
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bailey & Rosenfield Gorgeous Lady
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Handsome Man with Mustache Unmarked
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Genelli Handsome Man in Suit Unmarked
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.E. Weeks Cute Girl Fancy Dress Iowa
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bullard Cute Baby in Dress Peterboro NH
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A.E. King Cute Baby Fancy Dress Hartford CT
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hartley Gorgeous Lady In Dress Chicago IL
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Michigan Cute Baby In Dress Unmarked
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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