Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
CIRCA 1900s CABINET CARD HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE ALBANY NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD C.A. PARK GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS NORWALK OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD BESAW GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS RICHWOOD OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HUSBAND & WIFE COUPLE ROMANTIC ALBUM PRINT UNMARKED
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD SMITH HANDSOME MAN IN SUIT WITH MUSTACCHE WATERTOWN MA.
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD A.H. MOTTINGER GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY PLAINFIELD ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD WM. R. WRIGHT HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE PRINCETON IND.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD KLUPPER HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT NEW YORK
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS ALBUM PRINT UNMARKED
C. 1870s CABINET CARD GRAEFF GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS LEBANON PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD GILLBERT & BACON GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY PHILADELPHIA PENN.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD M.M. MUDGE GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY VALPARAISO INDIANA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD OLDER MAN IN SUIT ALBUM PRINT UNMARKED
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD SCHMIDT HUSBAND & WIFE ROMANTIC COUPLE CHICAGO ILLINOIS
C. 1890s CABINET CARD HILL LITTLE GIRL IN WHITE DRESS NAMED ELIZABETH NEW JERSEY
C. 1880s CABINET CARD OSWALD BROS HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHCE MINNEAPOLIS MINN.
CIRCA 1900s CABINET CARD MUSSER LITTE GIRL READING BOOK HARRISBURG PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1900s CABINET CARD SEARLE BROS LITTLE GIRL IN WHITE DRESS LONDON ENGLAND
C. 1890s CABINET CARD HOOVER GORGEOUS OLDER LADY IN WHITE DRESS OAK HARBOR OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD FOWLER GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS CHARLOTTE MICHIGAN
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD E.C. NEATE GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY DEFIANCE OHIO
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD BERLIN OGRGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS BLAIRSVILLE PENN.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD BURNHAM GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS NORWAY MAINE
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD A.H. MOTTINGER GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY PLAINFIELD ILLINOIS
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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