Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Betz Two Cute Young Boys On Pony Victorian Suits Baltimore
Cabinet Card Edgar Allan Poe Look-A-Like Man Bow Tie Victorian Unmarked
Cabinet Card Jeanes Young Gorgeous Lady In Dress With Medal Chester Pennsylvania
Cabinet Card Cute Baby In White Lace Dress Sitting On Large Fur Rug Unmarked
Cabinet Card Anselm Schmitz Landscape Bingen Town Rhine River Cologne Germany
Cabinet Card Cottage Handsome Man With Mustache & Young Man New Britain Conn.
Cabinet Card Handsome Old Bearded Man In Suit Bowtie Victorian Portrait Unmarked
Cabinet Card Young Gorgeous Lady In Ornate Eastern Orthodox Robe Hat
Cabinet Card Clutter Two Young Girls Identical Twins Sisters Medford Oregon
Cabinet Card Shanafelt & Martinie Young Gorgeous Lady Ema Stanford Lyons Kansas
Cabinet Card Steffens Handsome Old Man John Collins Mustache Chicago Illinois
Cabinet Card Evans Handsome Man With Mustache In Suit Portrait Ithaca New York
Cabinet Card Gorgeous Young Woman Elaborate Fringed Native Theatrical Costume
Cabinet Card Giacomo Brogi South Door Baptistery Andrea Pisano Florence Italy
Dual Photo Cabinet Card Dinturff Cute Baby Girl Ruth Machin Pickin Syracuse NY
Cabinet Card Houses Of Parliament Big Ben Westminster Bridge London England
Cabinet Card Roth Handsome Man With Mustache Wearing Top Hat Catasauqua Pa
Cabinet Card Newman Young Gorgeous Lady In White Dress Holding Book New York NY
Cabinet Card Anderson Handsome Bearded Man In Suit San Francisco California
Cabinet Card A. Werner Wedding Bride & 3 Men With Mustaches Brooklyn New York
Cabinet Card A. Werner Young Husband and Wife Romantic Couple in Brooklyn, NY
Cabinet Card Wolle Young Handsome Man Wearing Bowler Hat Reading Pennsylvania
Cabinet Card Lewis Young Wedding Party Bride Groom Man Mustache New London
Cabinet Card Imperial Husband And Wife Romantic Couple Wedding New Britain
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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