Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD GODWIN GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS BUTLER PA.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD POTTER HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT MANSFILED OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD WINELAND GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS CENTERBURG OHIO
CIRCA 18880s CABINET CARD THOFFITT GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS NEW BRITAIN CONN
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD "LANDING OF COLUMBUS" YOUNG LADY UTICA OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD W.C. BRYANT HUSBAND & WIFE ROMANTIC COUPLE SHELBY OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD T.E. DRUMMOND HUSBAND & WIFE ROMANTIC CHILLICOTHE OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD FRITZ GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS READING PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD DR WITT GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS SCRANTON PENN.
1889 CABINET CARD CHASE OLDER LADY IN FANCY DRESS NEWARK OHIO ALBUM PRINT
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD ZEPH F. MAGILL LADY IN DRESS TROY NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD YOUNGE GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS UTICA NEW YORK
C. 1880s CABINET CARD SILKWORTH GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS BROOKLYN NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD LOVEJOY HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT OSWEGO NEW YORK
C. 1880s CABINET CARD HARDWICK GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS BRIDGETON NEW JERSEY
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD SANFORD OLDER LADY IN FANCY DRESS ADAMS MASSACHUSETTS
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD LUSBY & SILVEY OLDER LADY IN DRESS CINCINNATI OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD CRAMER GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS CAREY OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HAYNES GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS ST. PAUL MINNESOTA
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD HOLLINGER GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS DAYTON OHIO
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN FANCY DRESS ALBUM PRINT UNMARKED
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD LEEDS GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN FANCY DRESS BROOKLYN NY
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD PENABERT GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS PARIS FRANCE
C. 1900s CABINET CARD ROGERS NEWING GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS BINGHAMPTON NY
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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