Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD RIDER YOUNG ROMANTIC COUPLE CHICAGO ILLINOIS
C. 1890s CABINET CARD STEPHANY GROOM & BRIDE WEDDING ROMANTIC CHICAGO ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1890s 2 CABINET CARDS OF THE SAME YOUNG MAN P.F. NOVES GARINER MAINE
1889 CABINET CARD STEWART HANDSOME AFRICAN AMERICAN MAN ALLEGHENY PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD NEMECK BOY RIDING PONY GHOST-PRINT CHICAGO ILLINOIS
C. 1880s CABINET CARD AFTERMATH OF TORNADO THAT TORE THROUGH HOUSE GRINELL IOWA
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD JOHN H. RYDER HANDSOME YOUNG SOLDIER CLEVELAND OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD H.W. LOVEDAY YOUNG LADY HAND-TINTED CHICAGO ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD McCORMICK HANDSOME CATHOLIC REVEREND PRIEST BOSTON MASS
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD BENYAMIN CUTE LITTLE BOY IN SUIT CINCINATTI OHIO
C. 1890s CABINET CARD D.E. ROWELL FAMILY OF THREE MOTHER LANCASTER NEW HAMPSHIRE
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD T.A. BEACH BABY IN WHITE DRESS CARDINGTON OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD COLBURNS BABY IN LONG WHITE DRESS WAVERLY NEW YORK
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD BROWN OLDER LADY IN FANCY DRESS NEWPORT NEW HAMPSHIRE
C. 1880s CABINET CARD ROSHON GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS LEBANON PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD A.F. SALISBURY OLD BEARDED MAN PAWTUCKET RHODE ISLAND
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD WOLSTENHOLME CUTE LITTLE BOY IN BOOTS BLACKPOOL ENGLAND
C. 1890s CABINET CARD BLAUL HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE PHILADELPHIA PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD LOQUIST GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY PEORIA ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD FLICKENSCHILDT HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE BALTIMORE MD
C. 1880s CABINET CARD C.A. ADAMS GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY WEST GARDNER MASSACHUSETTS
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD GILES BISHOP YOUNG LADY IN DRESS NEW LONDON CONNETICUIT
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD BUTTORFF HANDSOME YOUNG MAN YORK PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1900s CABINET CARD CUTE LITTLE GIRL WITH JACK RUSSEL TERRIER DOG
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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