Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Campbell & CO Woman Profile Portrait Richmond
Antique Cabinet Card 1880s Gilbert Studios Young Woman Bust Portrait Phila PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Wm H Kibbe Woman High Collar Chain Johnstown NY
Antique Cabinet Card 1880s Price Older Woman Bead Necklaces Newark NJ Portrait
Antique Cabinet Card 1900s Oval Portrait Older Couple Suit Dress Sepia Photo
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s F Russell Edith M Campbell Portrait Lawrence Mass
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s D. M. Smith Dad & Little Friend Loudonville OH
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Richmond Gallery Young Woman Puff Sleeves Richmond
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Rasmussen & Free Young Girl Dress Rock Island
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Leck Handsome Man Mustache Bowtie Lawrence Mass
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Two Women Sisters High Collar Dresses Scalloped
Antique Cabinet Card 1880s Young Woman Portrait Lacy Dark Dress Scalloped Mount
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Bonell Young Man Suit Tie Short Hair Eau Claire
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Schaidner Young Boy Suit Tie Portrait NY City
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Wilke Wedding Couple Bride Dress Bouquet Chicago
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Cornell & COBlack Woman Dark Dress Flower Albany NY
Antique Cabinet Card 1880s Robinson Woman Dark Dress Button Front Fence Studio
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Pirie Macdonald Woman Curly Hair Dress Albany NY
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Arthur A Bentley CO Man Handlebar Mustache Fargo
1887 Antique Cabinet Card Cha's A. Tenney Woman & Children Winona Minn.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Maxwell Man Bow Tie Mustache Spokane Falls WT
Antique Cabinet Card 1900s Family Portrait Mother Father Two Young Children
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Atlas Studio Family Portrait Parents Children Chicago
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Handsome Man Prominent Mustache Plaid Tie Corduroy
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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