Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s H.n. Odbert Elderly Woman Wicker Chair Belle Vernon Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.g.c. Kimball Charles Henry Lord Concord New Hampshire
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s West & Knight Co. Boy Bowler Hat Anchor Hartford Conn.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Merrill Young Woman Lace Collar Updo Waterville Maine
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Walter E. Chickering Bearded Man In Suit Boston Mass.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s P.H. Rose Handsome Middle-Aged Providence, Rhode Island
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s R.b. Lewis Man Unique Curled Hair Mustache Hudson Mass.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Geo. W. Ames Man Mustache Polka Dot Bowtie Lynn Mass.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lemont & Davis Man With Large Mustache Waltham Mass.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s The Elite Handsome Man with Mustache Wa Portland, Main
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Howe Handsome Young Man Suit High Collar Old Town Maine
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lewis Handsome Man With Mustache Hudson Massachusetts
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Mcmahan & Irland Young Man G. Brown In Suit Danville Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Portmess Handsome Man with a Goate Keyser, West Virgini
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Samarjian Young Girl White Lace Dress Veil Boston Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Blackburn John Bert Johnston Young Man Grand Forks N.d.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.h. Illingworth Handsome Man Mustache Suit St. Paul Mn
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lloyd Handsome Young Man Profile Suit Hartford Conn.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lothrop & Cunningham Elderly Woman Lowell Mass.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s S. B. Duryea Profile Young Woman Necklace Brooklyn Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Ye Rose Young Woman White Ruffled Blouse Providence Ri
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Wolfenstein Woman Dark Dress Lace Collar New Bedford Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Holmes Handsome Young Ma Maynard and Ayer, Massachusett
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Mrs. D. Leger Man Mustache Suit Bow Tie Ottawa Ontario
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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