Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Morrill Handsome Man With Mustache Lowell Massachusetts
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Harman & Verner Handsome Young Man Bay City Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s G.E. Whitney Dapper Man Suit Watch Chai Berlin Falls, N
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s P. W. Tennant & Son Samuel Foote Goatee Haverhill Mass.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Morrill Distinguished Man Full White Beard Lowell Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s J. S. Fritz Handsome Man in Long C Reading, Pennsylvani
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Lewis & Gibson Young Man Mustache Suit Ann Arbor Mich.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Warren G. Foley Bald Man Long Full Beard Boston Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Arthur F. Pepper Handsome Man Mustache Boston Mass.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Hardy Middle Aged Man Goatee Suit Boston Massachusetts
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Speake Handsome Man with Large Mustach Lincoln, Nebrask
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s R.b. Lewis Distinguished Older Man Beard Hudson Mass.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s W.g. Woodruff Mustachioed Man Suit & Tie Elizabeth Nj
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Beebe Man & Woman In Victorian Attire Denver Colorado
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Foreman Man Large Mustache Striped Tie Denver Colorado
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Elmer Chickering Handsome Man Mustache Boston Mass.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s A. C. Austin & A. W. Read Man Large Mustache Nashua Nh
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Madden & Baldwin Woman with curly hair Unmarked Locatio
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Bertie Child Long Ringlets Hat Capelet Coat Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Frank Mcclintock Man Curly Hair Goatee West Union Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Arthur F. Pepper Man Mustache Patterned Cravat Boston
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s F. Wheaton Smith Man Mustache Dark Suit Providence Ri
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s J. L. Andrews Man Mustache Patterned Bowtie Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Poore Grandma Nichols Mature Woma Boston, Massachusett
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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