Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD E.J. BETTS HUSBAND & WIFE DANSVILLE NEW YORK
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD SHADLE & BUSSER GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY YORK PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD BEEM TEENAGE GIRL IN WHITE DRESS GREENVILLE OHIO
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD O'NEIL GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD LOVEJOY GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS OSWEGO NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS ALBUM PRINT UNMARKED
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD WORCESTER GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS LEOMINSTER MA.
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN FANCY DRESS ALBUM PRINT
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD OLD LADY IN FANCY DRESS ALBUM PRINT UNMARKED
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN FANCY DRESS ALBUM PRINT UNMARKED
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN FANCY DRESS NAMED ADA RICHARDS
C. 1880s CABINET CARD C.H. TOWNSEND HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT WILLIMANTIC CONN
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD SIM MOULD OLDER LADY IN DRESS BARABOO WISCONSIN
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD BALL HUSBAND & WIFE ROMANTIC COUPLE FOSTORIA OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HASTINGS GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS BOSTON MASS.
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD BLAUL & BAUMGARDNER GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY PHILADELPHIA PA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD DAVIS GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS PHILADELPHIA PA.
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD DENSMORE NILES MICHIGAN GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD T. CORNWALL GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY COLDWATER MICHIGAN
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD H.G. SMITH GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS BOSTON MASS.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD LENNEY GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS NEWPORT PA.
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD J.A. FOSTER GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY ADRIAN MICHIGAN
C. 1890s CABINET CARD DAVIES BROS CUTE YOUNG BOY IN SUIT CHARLESTON W. VIRGINA
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD L.B. FEUERSTEIN GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY KENSINGTON ILLNOIS
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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