Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD LEWIS & WIFE TWO LADIES MOTHER & DAUGHTER CELINA OHIO
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD OTTO MAYER GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY DRESDEN GERMANY
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD ROBERTS GORGEOUS LADY IN FANCY DRESS CLEVELAND OHIO
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD SPETTEL HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE LA CROSSE WISCONSIN
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD MEASON HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE LA CROSSE WISCONSIN
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HOSKINS GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS UTICA OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD CARPENTER GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS NEWARK OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD DAVID HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE PAINESVILLE OHIO
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD SCOTT HOPKINS HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE ONTARIO CANADA
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD STOUT HANDSOME BEARDED MAN IN SUIT EASTON PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD RENGGLY HANDSOME YOUNG MAN WITH MUSTACHE LA CROSSE WIS.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD RENGGLY HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE LA CROSSE WISCONSIN
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD J.M. JENKS HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE TORONTO OHIO
C. 1890s CABINET CARD M. WOLFE HANDSOME BEARDED MAN WEARING GLASSES DAYTON OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD SHADLE GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS YORK PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HOTCHKISS GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN FANCY DRESS NORWICH NY
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD HAFER CUTE TEENAGE GIRL IN WHITE DRESS TROY OHIO
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD WILHELMI GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY WHITE DRESS URBANA OHIO
C. 1880s CABINET CARD BAUMGARDNER GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS SPRINGFIELD OHIO
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD DE VOE FATHER & DAUGHTER FAMILY URBANA OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD H.W. CALENDAR ROMANTIC YOUGN COUPLE SPRINGFIELD OHIO
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD POWELSON OLDER LADY IN FANCY DRESS BUFFALO NEW YORK
C. 1880s CABINET CARD N.E. LOQUIST GORGEOUS LADY IN FANCY DRESS PEORIA ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD THEO GUDEAN OLDER LADY IN FANCY DRESS CLEVELAND OHIO
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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