Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
CIRCA 1900s CABINET CARD OUTDOOR FAMILY PHOTO FATHER HOLDING GUN PICKET FENCE
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD C.B. COLBURN HUSBAND & WIFE COUPLE BELDING MICHIGAN
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE IN SUIT ALBUM PRINT
C. 1880s CABINET CARD WALKER YOUNG LADY READING BOOK PHILADELPHIA PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD HEVY LITTLE GIRL IN CHAIR WORCESTER MASSACHUSETTS
CIRCA 1900s CABINET CARD L. PARKER OGDEY YOUNG LADY IN DRESS PITTSFIELD MASS.
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD J.M. ARNOUT YOUNG MAN IN SUIT TROY NEW YORK
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD W.H. TOWNE MAN IN SUIT WITH MUSTACHE TROY NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD KNOWLTON BROS LITTLE BOY IN SUIT
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD BUSHBY YOUNG LADY IN DRESS BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS
1890 CABINET CARD ARTHUR A. GLINES LITTLE GIRL IN DRESS BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD PARSONS LITTLE GIRL IN WHITE DRESS ADAMS MASSACHUSETTS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD G.C. ROBINSON LITTLE GIRL ON CHAIR LYNN MASSACHUSETTS
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD N.E. PIERCE WOMEN IN BLACK DRESS NAMED WAVERLY IOWA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD LLOYD YOUNG MAN IN SUIT TROY NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD WEALTHY LADY IN DRESS UNMARKED
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD WHEELER OLD LADY IN DRESS PITTSFIELD MASSACHUSETTS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD JACKSON LITTLE KID IN DRESS OWEGO NEW YORK
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD H.A. PIEPER LADY IN DRESS TROY NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD YOUNG HUSBAND & WIFE ROMANTIC COUPLE UNMARKED
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD LLOYD OLD BEARDED MAN IN SUIT TROY NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD H.N. KENT BABY IN WHITE DRESS AMBOY ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD C.R. MULETTE FAMILY PHOTOGRAPH IN FRONT OF HOUSE
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD STEELE BROS BABY IN WHITE DRESS WAUKON IOWA
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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