Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Barker Young Man In Dark Suit Holding Hat Ottawa Kansas
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s H.w. Craig Handsome Man Large Full Beard Marietta Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Rice Birdie Routt Young Woman Pearls Washington D.c.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W. L. Bates. Handsome Man Large Mustache Denver Colo.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hoffmeister Earl & John Launer Boys Fremont Nebraska
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hartley Dapper Man Mustache Suit Vest Chicago Illinois
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Dore Gallery Handsome Young Ma San Francisco, Californi
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s G. C. Van Osdel Bearded Man Dark Suit Toulon Illinois
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Cobb's Dore Gallery Man with m San Francisco, Californi
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Chas. Leach Bearded Man In Dark Jacket Baltimore Md
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s M. M. Mott Handsome Man Mustache Suit Anamosa Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s John P. Lemer Man Mustache 3 Piece Suit Harrisburg Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Russell Mature Woman Profile Lace Collar Lawrence Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lampron Old Bearded Man Vested Watch Chain Nashua N.h.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Gibson Handsome Man Mustache Side Profile Ann Arbor Mi
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Elmer Chickering Dapper Man Profile Mustache Boston Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Siegel Cooper & Co Man Profile Formal Chicago, Illinois
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s O. H. Mulvane Young Woman Profile Curly Hair Raymond Ne
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W. Shaw Warren Handsome Man Large Mustache Boston Mass
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Morton Man Mutton Chop Sideburns Striped Tie Providence
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hayden Infant Baby in Dark Long-Sleeve Lincoln, Nebrask
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s H. E. Strout Jere B. Howard Man Mustache Brockton Mass
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J. G. Moore Handsome Man Thick Mustache Avoca New York
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lee Minnie Ferrell young woman w Danville, Pennsylvani
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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