Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s F. L. Brewster Handsome Man Mustache St. Regis Falls Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Ramsdell Bearded Man In Dark Coat New Haven Connecticut
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Cornwell Young Man Mustache Suit Williamsport Penna.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Edwin Winans Seated Woman In Dark Dress Cobleskill Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Koester & Sievers Bearded Man in Double-Bre New York, N
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Alpha A. Williams Bald man with a must Columbus, Georgi
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Brown Young Man In Three Piece Suit Providence Ri
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Gifford Bearded Man In Suit Bowtie New Bedford Mass
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Man With Mustache Spectacles Bow Tie Unmarked Location
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s S. B. Pennebecker Young Woman Lace Dress Nanticoke Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s C. A. Slaght Bearded Man In Suit & Bowtie Ovid New York
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Thos. A. Ley Older Woman Beaded Bodice Woodland Cal.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Madden & Baldwin Victorian Family Group Photo Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Westminster Photograph Man Mustache Providence Ri Suit
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Perry Charles Deas Man Mustache Suit Chamberlain Dakota
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Perry Hazel Peas Girl Lace Collar Chamberlain Dakota
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s A. Benoit Young Man In Dark 3 Piece Suit Woonsocket Ri
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Middle-Aged Man with Large Walrus Mustache Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s L. N. Roy. Man & Woman Victorian Fashion Joliette Que.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Gray Handsome Man With Large Mustache Boston Mass.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s T.m. Swem Man Mustache Bowtie Suit St. Paul Minnesota
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s L. V. Newell & Co. Young man w Portsmouth, New Hampshir
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s O. H. Mulvane Toddler Child Dark Dress Raymond Nebraska
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s F. S. Blackwell Young Man Mustache Suit Lawrence Mass.
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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