Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s W. A. Webster George Wyman Man Mustache Waltham Mass.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Caldwell Handsome Man Mustache Dark Suit Brockton Mass
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Hugo Handwerk Two Men With Cigars Paterson New Jersey
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Handsome Man Mustache Sitting In Rocking Chair Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s St. John. Handsome Man Mustache Bowtie Hartford Conn.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Latto Two Women in Dark Vict South Boston, Massachusett
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Ramsdell Curly Haired Woman in Da New Haven, Connecticu
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Giles Bishop Man With Long Beard New London Connecticut
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Mrs. K. Bryant Man Mustache Suit Indianapolis Indiana
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Grotecloss Elderly Man Long White Beard New York Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Noah Gifford Handsome man wit New Bedford, Massachusett
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Caldwell Handsome Man Large Mustache Brockton Mass.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s J. K. Patch Grandpa Stone Shelburne Falls, Massachusett
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Victorian Couple Bearded Man & Woman in Dark Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s St. John Bearded Man In Three Piece Suit Hartford Conn.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Jno. A. Young Older Couple Formal Dress Pleasanton Ks
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J. B. Huffman Woman & Twin Girls Chillicothe Missouri
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W. B. Cook. Curly Haired Woman Bow Willows California
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Chas. Lainer Young Man Striped Suit San Francisco Cal.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.m. Wheeler. 3 Children Baby Boy Girl Junction City Ks
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Monnet & Lank Young Girl in Dark Dres Sarcoxie, Missour
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E. E. Shaver. Young Man Bowler Hat & Cane Chelsea Mich.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E. E. Shaver. Handsome Man Large Mustache Chelsea Mi
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s S. L. Crockard Family Man Woman Child Britton S. D.
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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