Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Rose & Co. Four Young Gorgeous Ladies Reading Book Denver Colorado
Cabinet Card Victorian Bunker Hill Monument Obelisk Charlestown Massachusetts
Cabinet Card Sarony Gorgeous Actress In Elaborate Hat Holding Fan New York NY
Cabinet Card Freddie Huke Cute Young Girl Actress in Dress & Large Hat
Cabinet Card Newsboy Young Gorgeous Sexy Actress Mary Anderson New York NY
Cabinet Card Young Soldier Man Musician Cornet Indian Wars Udell Iowa
Cabinet Card Campbell Four Handsome Men Holding Apples Medal Mansfield Ohio
Cabinet Card S.R. Flowers Three Young Women Reading Letter New Lexington Ohio
Cabinet Card Handsome Man With Mustache Wearing Flat Cap With Bicycle Windowsill
Cabinet Card Large Fat Boy In Suit Circus Freak
Cabinet Card Cute Boy Robert Emmet Markham With Drum Studio Portrait
Cabinet Card Willis & Sons Man With Mustache In Horse Drawn Buggy Carmi Illinois
Cabinet Card H. P. Purcell Handsome Archbishop Corrigan New York New York
Cabinet Card Wendt Young Lady In Dress With Dog Mirror Reflection Boonton NJ
Cabinet Card Ryder Gorgeous African American Lady Glasses Lace Richmond Indiana
Cabinet Card S.b. Whealdon Cute Child In Dress With Prop Pug Dog Vinton Ohio
Cabinet Card Catholic Bishop O'Connor In Clerical Robes Newark New Jersey
Cabinet Card P.h. Kline Cute Young Boy On Tricycle Wearing Hat Leechburg Pa
Cabinet Card A. Des Granges Family Bearded Man Mustache Boys Two Dogs Natick RI
Cabinet Card Two Handsome Occupational Men Blacksmiths Hammers Leather Aprons
Cabinet Card Frank Wendt Cute Young Girl Little Greeta Fur Coat Hat Boonton NJ
Cabinet Card Cute Young Boy In Military Costume With Toy Rifle Sword
Cabinet Card F.g. Blackman Cute Young Girl Holding Doll In Dress Wauseon Ohio
Cabinet Card Morrison Cute Girl In Plaid Dress With Doll Bowling Green Ohio
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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