Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.S. Roshon Old Bearded Man Lebanon PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Nast Man with Mustache Denver CO
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A. Guiremand Handsome Bearded Man NJ
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Drake Old Bearded Man Ohio
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Prince Handsome Man with Mustache DC
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C. Nuchtern Bearded Man Hamburg DE
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Day Gorgeous Lady In Dress Norristown PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.H. Pope Bearded Man In Suit Ohio
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A.W. Blisssemore Handsome Man Ohio
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Priestley Bearded Man Egremont Cheshire
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.H. Poff Old Bearded Man Loudonville OH
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hanberg Handsome Man with Mustache Chicago
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Chase Old Lady In Dress Foxcroft ME
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Benedich Handsome Man Canton PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Zimmerman Gorgeous Lady Carey OH
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bearded Man In Suit Bellingham WA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.C. Rowley Handsome Man Elmira NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s (Unmarked) Bearded Man Pittsburg PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.W. Moore Old Bearded Man Bellefonte PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Schaefer Handsome Man with Mustache NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s St. John Handsome Man Mustache Hartford CT
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s John H. Ryder Handsome Man Cleveland OH
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W. Kurtz Old Bearded Man New York
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Roshon Old Bearded Man Lebanon PA
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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