Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD RYDER GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS SYRACUSE NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD J.O. OLESON OLD ROMANTIC HUSBAND & WIFE DEKALB ILLINOIS
1892 CABINET CARD FREDRICKS GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN WHITE DRESS BROADWAY NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD BILLUPS HANDOSME YOUNG MAN WITH MUSTACHE JEANNETTE PENN
C. 1880s CABINET CARD CHANDLER GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS ST. ALBANS VERMONT
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD DREW & BOOMER HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE DOVER NEW HAMP
C. 1890s CABINET CARD NEWELL HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE PORTSMOUTH NEW HAMPSHIRE
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD DECKER & ROUTH LITTLE GIRL IN DRESS VERMILLION KANSAS
C. 1890s CABINET CARD ROCKSTEAD GORGOEUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS ROCKFORD ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HANDSOME MAN IN SUIT WITH MUSTACHE ALBUM PRINT
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD ROOT GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS CAMBRIDGE ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD BROADBENT OLD BEARDED MAN WEARING GLASSES PHILADELPHIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD MUNTZ & PACK HUSBAND & WIFE ROMANTIC ZANESVILLE OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD J.S. SHAFF LITTLE GIRL IN WHITE DRESS SENECA KANSAS
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD CARD GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS NEW YORK
C. 1890s CABINET CARD ROSHON GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS LEBANON PENNSYLVANIA
C. 1890s CABINET CARD FREDRICKS GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS BROADWAY NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD A.H. MOTTINGER GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY PLAINFIELD ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD PERKINSON HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT NEW YORK
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD REUNIE SMITH GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY NEWARK NEW JERSEY
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD MEASON GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY LA CROSSE WISCONSIN
C. 1880s CABINET CARD G.W. RACH GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS HARVARD NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS QUAKERTOWN PENNSYLVANIA
1886 CABINET CARD WILLIAMS & NORTON CUTE LITTLE GIRL SAN FRANCISCO CALIFORNIA
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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