Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD DE HART LETSON OLD LADY IN DRESS RED BANK NEW JERSEY
C. 1900s CABINET CARD DAVIS & WILLIAMS YOUNG BOY OUTSIDE OF HOUSE NEXT TO FENCE
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD SCHILL LITTLE GIRLS IN WHITE DRESS NEWARK NEW JERSEY
C. 1880s CABINET CARD FALLERT HANDSOME YOUNG MAN WITH MUSTACHE PITTSBURGH PENN.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD W.E. SHANWOOD GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY NEW BERLING NEW YORK
C. 1880s CABINET CARD DABBS HANDSOME MUSICIAN/COMPOSER PITTSBURGH PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD BROWN BARNES BELL ROMANTIC COUPLE LONDON ENGLAND
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD M. HARRIS GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS CHICAGO ILLINOIS
C. 1880s CABINET CARD H.W. LOVEDAY GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS CHICAGO ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD QUANTRELL GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS NEW YORK
CIRCA 1900s CABINET CARD TEENAGE SCHOOL BOY HOLDING BOOK IN FORREST UNMARKED
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD HANDSOME YOUNG DAPPER MAN IN SUIT DETAILED UNMARKED
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD FONFARA HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT CHICOPEE FALLS MASS.
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD W.B. MILES HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE HOLYOKE MASS.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD RICE HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE WORCESTER MASS.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD GEORGE W. AMES OLD MAN WITH MUSTACHE LYNN MASSACHUSETTS
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD ANDERSON HANDSOME BEARDED MAN IN SUIT HAVERHILL MASS.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD FOLJAMBE HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE CLEVELAND OHIO
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD OLSEN HANDSOME BEARDED MAN IN SUIT HARTFORD CONNETICUIT
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD LAMPRON HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE DANBURY CONNETICUIT
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD KRAFT HANDSOME OLD MAN WITH MUSTACHE CHICAGO ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT DETAILED UNMARKED
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD KRAUS HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE HARRISBURG PA.
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT DISHEVELED TIE ALBUM PRINT
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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