Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
1893 CABINET CARD POMEROY MIRACLE BABY SURVIVED BEING BLOWN 1 MILE OUT OF TOWN
C. 1890s CABINET CARD SUMNERMAN HANDSOME CADET SOLDIER IN UNIFORM ST. PAUL MINN.
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD WOODBRIDGE GEOLOGIST HOLDING HIS ROCKS NASHUA IOWA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD PETERSON POLICE LAWMEN WITH BATTON KENSINGTON MINNESOTA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD YOUNG CHILDREN SITTING UNDER TREE OUTSIDE UNMARKED
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD C.N. ABBEY CUTE YOUNG GIRL IN WHITE DRESS GRANT CITY MO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT NAMED JOE COLLINS UNMARKED
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD WILSON HANDSOME OLD MAN IN SUIT CHEROKEE IOWA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD TRAVELING PHOTOGRAPHERS GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY NEW YORK
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD FELLOWS HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE VINTON IOWA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD CHAPLIN BABY IN WHITE DRESS MANCHESTER IOWA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD ROSEBROOK GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS NEW HAMPSHIRE
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD FELLOWS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS ORNATE MASQUE VINTON IOWA
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD SWAN & STONE THREE YOUNG CHILDREN NORWAY MAINE
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD SMITH & WARREN CUTE BABY IN DRESS PUTNAM CONNETICUIT
C. 1880s CABINET CARD MARION GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS LOWELL MASSACHUSETTS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD SWAN & STONE GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS NORWAY MAINE
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD MORRILL CUTE YOUNG GIRL IND RESS LOWELL MASSACHUSETTS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD RENOUF FAMILY OF THREE BIDDEFORD MAINE
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HEATH TWO CUTE CHILDREN SIBLINGS PLYMOUTH N.H.
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD HARRY S. HEATH GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS PLYMOUTH NH
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD RENTSCHLER THREE LADIIES IN DRESSES ANN ARBOR MICHIGAN
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD GOLDSMITH OLDER LADY IN DRESS SPRINGFIELD MASSACHUSETTS
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD ELDER GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS FOREST CITY IOWA
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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