Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD L.C. PERKINSON GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY BROADWAY NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HANDSOME MAN IN SUIT WITH MUSTACHE ALBUM PRINT
C. 1880s CABINET CARD W. WILSON GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS PADDINGTON ENGLAND
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD MORENO GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN FANCY DRESS NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN FANCY DRESS UNMARKED
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD F.J. WURMSER GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS FINDLAY OHIO
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD WHEELER GORGEOUS LADY IN DRESS OTTAWA ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD CHICKERING OLDER LADY IN FANCY DRESS BOSTON MASS.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD WHITE THREE CUTE YOUNG CHILDREN KEENE NEW HAMPSHIRE
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD WALTER E. CHICKERING GORGEOUS LADY IN DRESS BOSTON MA.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD LOJO YOUNG LADY IN FANCY DRESS ST. JOSEPH MISSOURI
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD LOJO GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS ST. JOSEPH MISSOURI
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD J.W. SOUDER GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS ST. JOSEPH MO.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD UHMAH GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS ST. JOSEPH MISSOURI
C. 1880s CABINET CARD MAHAN GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS PITTSBURGH PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD REMMY GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY ORNATE MASQUE COLUMBUS OHIO
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD KAIL GORGEOUS LADY IN FANCY DRESS EAST LIVERPOOL OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD J.W. SOUDER GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY ST. JOSEPH MISSOURI
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD T.H. HIGGINS GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY WHEELING W. VIRGINIA
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD AUFRECHT GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS ALLEGHENY PA.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD S.H. COPE GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS NORRISTOWN PA.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD FARALAUGH GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS CARROLTOWN PA.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD BROADWAY HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE CLEVELAND OHIO
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD TAPPAN & CO. GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY WHEELING W. VIRGINIA
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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