Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD SAYLOR TEENAGE BOY IN SUIT LANCASTER PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD STAFFLEFS MAN IN SUIT WITH MUSTACHE BANGOR PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD MONTIGNANI BEARDED MAN IN SUIT WEIRD BRIDGEPORT CONN.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD SMEDLEY & WHITE HANDSOME MAN IN SUIT MUSTACHE NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD PALMOUIST GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD HENRY IVERSON TWO YOUNG BOYS IN SUITS CHICAGO ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD KIMBALL HANDSOME OLDER MAN WITH MUSTACHE GARDINER MAINE
C. 1890s CABINET CARD SCHOLFIELD BROS GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY WESTERLY RHODE ISLAND
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HATCH GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN WHITE DRESS BATH MAINE
C. 1880s CABINET CARD McINTOSH HANDSOME OLDER MAN WITH MUSTACHE GARDINER MAINE
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD MATOUSEK CUTE LITTLE GIRL HOLDING BALL CHICAGO ILLINOIS
C. 1890s CABINET CARD SCHOLL HANDSOME YOUNG MAN HOLDING BIBLE CHICAGO ILLINOIS
C. 1890s CABINET CARD BRUNO RIEDEL LITTLE GIRL HOLDING TOY SHEEP LEIPZIG GERMANY
1868 CABINET CARD ADELER YOUNG THEATER ACTORS PRINCE & PRINCESS WIEN GERMANY
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD BIEDERMANN GROUP OF YOUNG THEATER ACTORS WELS AUSTRIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD SABIN FUNERAL MEMORIAL CARD YORKVILLE ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD SMITH FUNERAL MEMORIAL CARD HONEOYE NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD CRONYN & HIBBS CUTE LITTLE GIRL TRAVELING ARTIST
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HAWKINS TWO CUTE TEENAGE GIRLS WAYNESBURG PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD WAHLSTEDT HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT CHICAGO ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD THE HOLDMANN HANDSOME YOUNG MAN CHICAGO ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HARTLEY GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS CHICAGO ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD FAMILY OF SEVEN THREE SONS IN HOUSE FAMILY PHOTO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD LOUIS JACOBS THREE CUTE YOUNG CHILDREN CHICAGO ILLINOIS
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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