Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD FAMILY OF SIX OUTSIDE ROCKING CHAIRS UNMARKED
C. 1890s CABINET CARD McINTOSH CUTE BABY IN WHITE DRESS HICKORY NORTH CAROLINA
1888 CABINET CARD PASCAL PORTER BAPTIST CHILD PREACHER JEFFERSON COUNTY INDIANA
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD MAN AND TWO LADIES OUTSIDE ON LAWN UNMARKED
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD ROBINSON HANDSOME GHOSTLY MAN UNIQUE CLOTHING NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD LARGE BUILDING UNDER CONSTRUCTION WITH WORKERS PRESENT
C. 1890s FRAMED CABINET CARD CUTE AFRICAN AMERICAN GIRL BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HANDSOME MAN "HAVING AN IDEA" OUTSIDE ALBUM PRINT
CIRCA 1870s BOUDOIR CABINET CARD NOVEL STEAM TRAIN NRR RAILROAD CABOOSE
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD TALBOT HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT SCHENECTADY NEW YORK
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD STRUNK LADY IN DRESS ALBUM PRINT READING PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD PARKER HANDSOME MAN IN SUIT ALBUM PRINT PERRY IOWA
C. 1890s CABINET CARD WM. NIMS GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS FORT EDWARD NEW YORK
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD ENGLE'S MAMMOTH PENNSYLVANIA CLOCK ORNATE
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD CONRAD HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE BINGHAMTON NEW YORK
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD ENGLE'S MAMMOTH PENNSYLVANIA CLOCK ORNATE FLAGS
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD ATWOOD CATHOLIC REVEREND PREIST IN ROBES BURLINGTON VT.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD RICHARD WALZL GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY BALTIMORE MARYLAND
C. 1890s CABINET CARD MORGAN GORGEOUS LADY IN FANCY DRESS CRIPPLE CREEK COLORADO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD OLDER ROMANTIC COUPLE WITH THEIR ISTRIAN HOUND DOG
1878 CABINET CARD BUNDY HANDSOME OLD MAN PONDERING LIFE HARTFORD CONNETICUIT
C. 1880s CABINET CARD MORGAN HANDSOME OLDER MAN MUSTACHE CRIPPLE CREEK COLORADO
C. 1890s CABINET CARD STEVEN TWO GORGEOUS YOUNG LADIES IN DRESSES CHICAGO ILL.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HALIDAY FOUR GORGEOUS YOUNG LADIES SPRINGFIELD ILLINOIS
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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