Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT FRANKLINVILLE NEW YORK COLE
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD TAYLOR & MARTIN HANDSOME BEARDED MAN CHICAGO ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD SARONY MR. FRANK LANGLEY AS HORATIO TIBBETTS IN BRASS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD WHARTON OLD LADY WEARING BONNET MT. UNION PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD D. BANGS OLD BEARDED MAN IN SUIT SLEEPY EYE MINNESOTA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD REVEREND HENRY McPAKE PRIEST WHO BURIED H.H. HOLMES
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD STRUNK LITTLE GIRL IN WHITE DRESS READING PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD STRUNK CUTE LITTLE GIRL IN DRESS READING PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD C.D. FREDRICKS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD C.B. PROCTOR WOMEN IN DRESS WITH GLASSES INDIANOLA IOWA
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD ROSHON BABY GIRL IN WHITE DRESS LEBANON PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD WHEW LADY IN BLACK DRESS ST. LOUIS MISSOURI
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD W.G. STAFFORD BEARDED MAN IN SUIT MINNEAPOLIS MINNESOTA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD MORTON LADY IN FANCY DRESS PROVIDENCE RHOAD ISLAND
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD L.BLAUL OLD LADY IN DRESS PHILADELPHIA PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD RISE & GATES LITTLE BOY IN SAILORS OUTFIT LEBANON PENN.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD L.C. PERKINSON YOUNG LADY IN DRESS BROADWAY NEW YORK
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD GILES BISHOP LADY IN DRESS LONDON CONNETICUIT
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD C.H. TOWNSEND LADY IN DRESS WILLIMANTIC CONNETICUIT
CIRCA 1900s CABINET CARD T. YASHIDA CHILDREN IN FORMAL ROBES KURUME JAPAN
CIRCA 1920 CABINET CARD SAMSON LITTLE GIRL IN PECULIAR CLOTHING MULHEIMD GERMANY
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD H. WILBUR AFRICAN AMERICAN LADY IN FANCY DRESS NEW YORK
1893 CABINET CARD HOWE ROMANTIC YOUNG HUSBAND & WIFE ELMIRA NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD STOUB OLDER LADY IN FANCY DRESS EASTON PENNSYLVANIA
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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