Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD WILCOX HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE CHICAGO ILLINOIS
C. 1890s CABINET CARD ELMER CHICKERING HANDSOME MAN IN SUIT BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS
C. 1880s CABINET CARD EVERETT WILDMAN STRUCK BY FREIGHT ENGINE BROKE ARM & NOSE
1890s CABINET CARD W.S. BENTLEY OLDER LADY IN FANCY DRESS VALPARAISO INDIANA
C. 1890s CABINET CARD LEE GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS PHILLIPSBURG NEW JERSEY
C. 1880s CABINET CARD A.E. DUMBLE OLDER LADY IN FANCY DRESS ROCHESTER NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD M.M. MUDGE GORGEOUS OLDER LADY VALPARAISO INDIANA
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS FANCY HAIR ALBUM PRINT
CIRCA 1900s CABINET CARD WM. BAILEY GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY COLUMBIA PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD LE RUE LEMER MAN IN SUIT HARRISBURGE PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD W.W. BROWN TWO YOUNG CHILDREN CONCORD NEW HAMPSHIRE
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD S.C. REED YOUNG MAN IN SUIT ARBURY PORT MASSACHUSETTS
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD CLARK HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT YORK NEBRASKA
CIRCA 1900s CABINET CARD A. JARVINEN TEENAGE BOY IN SUIT VIRGINIA MINNESOTA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD WATERMAN HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT CHICAGO ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD BABY IN WHITE DRESS FOLSOM KATONAH NEW YORK
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD J.C. STEINMAN HANDSOME BEARDED MAN PHILADELPHIA PENN.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD W.E. SHERWOOD HANDSOME YOUNG MAN NEW BERLIN NEW YORK
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN FANCY DRESS ALBUM PRINT
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD DOUGLAS GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS EVANSVILLE INDIANA
C. 1890s CABINET CARD GORDAN HUSBAND & WIFE COUPLE ROMANTIC DARLINGTON WISCONSIN
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD GERMAN? STOREFRONT LADY IN WINDOW JANR KOUKAL
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD L. BURNO HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE LITTLE SIOUX IOWA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD W.D. FAY HUSBAND & WIFE ROMANTIC COUPLE JOLIET ILLINOIS
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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