Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HANDSOME WILD WEST MEN DRINKING BEER HOUTZDALE PA.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD OLD RABBIT HUNTER HOLDING SHOTGUN WITH DOGS NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HEYN INDIAN WARS SOLDIER WITH HIS WIFE OMAHA NEBRASKA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD J.E. SIMPSON CUTE GIRL WITH HER DOG HEBRONVILLE MASS.
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD BUTTERWORTH CUTE BABY IN FANCY DRESS WILMINGTON OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD KETTMANN HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT ALTOONA PA.
CIRCA 1900s CABINET CARD BOWERSON CUTE BABY IN WHITE DRESS NAMED DAYTON OHIO
C. 1890s CABINET CARD RUNKEL OLD LADY IN FANCY DRESS NAMED MILWAUKEE WISCONSIN
CIRCA 1900s CABINET CARD HUNTER GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN WHITE DRESS OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD SWAP HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT ALBUM PRINT
C. 1890s CABINET CARD BLOOMINGDALE GORGEOUS OLDER LADY IN FANCY DRESS NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD GIBBON BROS GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN FANCY DRESS UTICA NY
1884 BOUDOIR CABINET CARD WHEAT HARVEST IN MONTEVIDEO MINNESOTA FARMING SCENE
C. 1880s CABINET CARD CADET IN UNIFORM SAINT JOHNS MILITARY SCHOOL SALINA KANSAS
C. 1870s CABINET CARD US ARMY BRIGADIER GENERAL CHAPLAIN SOLDIER IN UNIFORM NY
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD CIVIL WAR CAPTAIN JAMES FREIKE ARMY 5TH CORPS BOSTON MA
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD PRESIDENT JAMES A. GARFIELD CIVIL WAR GENERAL NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD KRIPS INDIAN WARS SOLDIER IN UNIFORM PHILADELPHIA PA.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD KIEFFER HANDSOME YOUNG BOY IN SUIT GALION OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD LOBENTHAL HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT GALION OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD DUFFY HANDSOME TEENAGE BOY IN SUIT CLEARFIELD PA.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD DUFFY HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT CLEARFIELD PA.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD FOWLER HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE PHILADELPHIA PA.
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD HOWARD HANDSOME MAN IN SUIT ALTOONA PA. ALBUM PRINT
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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