Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
CABINET CARD PROTESTANT CHURCH MOUNTAIN TOWN DACHSTEIN ALPS SCHLADMING AUSTRIA
C. 1890s CABINET CARD GROUP OF HUNTERS IN THE DACHSTEIN ALPS SCHLADMING AUSTRIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HUNTERS & DOG IN THE DACHSTEIN ALPS SCHLADMING AUSTRIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD TWO MEN IN SUITS SCHLADMING AUSTRIA DACHSTEIN ALPS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HUNTERS IN THE DACHSTEIN ALPS SCHLADMING AUSTRIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD THREE LADIES AND GIRL DACHSTEIN ALPS SCHLADMING AUSTRIA
CABINET CARD MOUNTAIN TOWN PROTESTANT CHURCH SCHLADMING AUSTRIA DACHSTEIN ALPS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD SMALL MOUNTAIN TOWN DACHSTEIN ALPS SCHLADMING AUSTRIA
CABINET CARD MOUNTAIN TOWN PROTESTANT CHURCH DACHSTEIN ALPS SCHLADMING AUSTRIA
CABINET CARD PROTESTANT CHURCH MURAL DACHSTEIN ALPS SCHLADMING AUSTRIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD B.C. SMITH GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS SEDGWICK KANSAS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD D.C. SCOTT OLD LADY WEARING GLASSES FRIENDSHIP NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD J.G. HEAD GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS MEXICO MISSOURI
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD ROSHON YOUNG BOY PLAYING VIOLIN SUNBURY PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD BRUA & GLAZE HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT LYONS KANSAS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD FRADER GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS EMPORIA KANSAS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD MAN ON HORSE CARRAIGE FARM SCENE UNMARKED
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD TRAVELING PHOTOGRAPHER WITH HIS CAMERA GEAR RARE!
C. 1890s CABINET CARD VERNON HANDSOME AFRICAN AMERICAN MAN IN SUIT RICHMOND VA.
C. 1900s CABINET CARD LARGE GROUP OF MEN AND WOMEN LAYING ON EACHOTHER COMICAL
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD INDIAN WARS SOLDIER HOLDING RIFLE WITH AMMO BELT
C. 1890s CABINET CARD W. SNELL CUTE LITTLE GIRLS PLAYING ON TOY PONY BAYONNE NJ
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD CONLY CUTE LITTLE GIRL HOLDING DOVE BOSTON MASS.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD BAKER TWO OCCUPATIONAL MEN LIGHTING & SMOKING PIPES
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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