Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD ROCHE HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE LOUSIVILLE KENTUCKY
CIRCA 18790s CABINET CARD DEWEEG HANDSOME MAN IN SUIT WASHINGTON OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD VOIGTS HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT MILWAUKEE WISCONSIN
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD FRED WENDEL HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD EGBERT OLDER LADY IN DRESS DETAILED ATLANTIC IOWA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HULBERT TWO CHILDREN IN WHITE DRESSES MIDDLEPORT OHIO
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD HOWLAND MAN WITH MUSTACHE & GLASSES CINCINNATI OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HART GALLERY LITTLE GIRL IN DRESS CARTHAGE NEW YORK
C. 1900s CABINET CARD ARPAD FENYIRDA MOTHER WITH CHILDREN AND DOLL IN CARRIAGE
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD L.C. FOWLER HANDSOME YOUNG MAN LANCASTER PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD MANDEVILLE HANDSOME BEARDED MAN LOWVILLE NEW YORK
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD HANDSOME BEARDED MAN IN SUIT ALBUM PRINT
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD BOARD & MCDONALD HANDSOME YOUNG MAN COSHOCTON OHIO
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD STEINMON HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTAHCE PHILADELPHIA PENN.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD J.W. PRICE TEENAGE GIRL IN DRESS DERBY CONNETICUIT
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD MANDEVILLE HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE LOWVILLE NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD GEO. JOHNSTON HUSBAND & WIFE COUPLE HARTFORD INDIANA
C. 1880s CABINET CARD COTTAGE GALLERY HUSBAND & WIFE ROMANTIC ST JOSEPH MISSOURI
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD GHOST PRINT EVANS HANDSOME YOUNG MAN CHICAGO ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD M.A. LOOMIS TWO GORGEOUS YOUNG LADIES JEFFERSON OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD BATTELS OLD HANDSOME BEARDED MAN IN SUIT AKRON OHIO
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD J.D. LEWIS BABY IN WHITE DRESS KINGSTON NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD FREDRICKS HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE BROADWAY NEW YORK
C. 1890s CABINET CARD GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN FANCY DRESS WOOD CARTHAGE NEW YORK
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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