Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD EIGHT YOUNG GORGEOUS LADIES A.J. MILLER ASHLAND PENN.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HANDSOME YOUNG MAN WITH MUSTACHE ALBUM PRINT
C. 1870s CABINET CARD KABLEY GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS CLINTON MASSACHUSETTS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD COLLINS GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY ROCHESTER NEW HAMPSHIRE
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD STRUNK LADY IN VICTORIAN DRESS READING PENNSYLVANIA
C. 1880s CABINET CARD McINTOSH OLD LADY IN DRESS WEARING GLASSES GARDINER MAINE
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD SIMMONS HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT WATERLOO IOWA
C. 1880s CABINET CARD MOORE HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT ELIZABETH NORTH CAROLINA
c1880s CABINET CARD AFRICAN AMERICAN MAN WITH MUSTACHE NAMED FLORENCE HARRINGTON
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD SOLOMEN LABONTE GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY SOUTHBRIDGE MASS.
C. 1880s CABINET CARD E.G. LACEY HANDSOME OLD BEARDED MAN IN SUIT MORRISTOWN NJ
C. 1880s CABINET CARD KABLEY GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS CLINTON MASSACHUSETTS
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD OPPENHEIM GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY GUNTERSBLUM GERMANY
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD SOLOMON LABONTE SOUTHBRIDGE MASSACHUSETTS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HASTINGS GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS
C. 1890s CABINET CARD KABLEY GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS CLINTON MASSACHUSETTS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD LUNDY & STODDARD GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY NEW HAVEN CONN.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD FOUR YOUNG LADIES IN DRESSES UNMARKED
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD SCHUTTERS LADY IN VICTORIAN DRESS ROCHESTER NEW YORK
ANITQUE CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD BELTSMITH YOUNG BOY IN SUIT CINCINNATI OHIO
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD PERKINS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS PORTAGE WISCONSIN
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD W.E. BUTLER MAN WITH MUSTACHE WEST SUPERIOR WISCONSIN
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD E.D.G. SCHUTTER HUSBAND & WIFE ROCHESTER NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD GIBBON BROS OLDER LADY IN DRESS UTICA 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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