Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Handsome Young Man In Jacket & Patterned Tie Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s S. J. Swift Elegant Woman Dark Bustle Dress Newark Nj
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s D. J. Mcintyre Dapper Man Mustache Tweed Suit Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Victorian Siblings Boy In Suit Girl Lace Dress Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Chickering Young Man With Mustache Boston Massachusetts
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Mrs. John Nickleson Mature Woman Seated Dress Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Tennant Elderly Woman Curly Hair Lowell Massachusetts
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Louis Heitzel Infant Baby Plaid Dress Junction City Ks
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Curtiss & Smith Young Man Profile Por Syracuse, New Yor
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Cora Young Woman W/ Fringe & Pendant Unmarked Loc.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Louis Harris Young Boy In Sailor Suit Hat New York City
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Armstrong Handsome Young Boy Formal Suit Washington Ia
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Foreman Woman Curly Hair Beaded High Collar Denver Co
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s J.s. Killitz Clarence Pugsley Boy Lace Dress Thayer Mo
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Stewart Elzie Mongrain 6 Month Old Baby Unmarked Loc.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Gardner Infant in Long Ornate White Lace Kansas City, M
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s J. B. Scranton Young Girl In Plaid Dress Scranton Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Brown & Whittaker Profile Portrait Woma Sioux City, Iow
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s John D. Lemer Young Man Unique Hair Plaid Suit Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Henry Frey Two children a boy in Scranton, Pennsylvani
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Handsome Man Mustache 3 Piece Suit Stone Wall Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Young Woman Curly Hair Lace Collar Rose Flower Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Fredricks Chubby Baby Infant White Knit Top New York Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s E. E. Shaver Elegant Woman Profile Chelsea Michigan
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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