Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
C. 1890s CABINET CARD GILBERT & BAARN CUTE LITTLE GIRL IN DRESS PHILADELPHIA PA.
C. 1890s CABINET CARD HOPKINS STUDIO HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT CLEVELAND OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD T.A. DUNLAP HUSBAND &WIFE COUPLE BLOOMFIELD IOWA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD L.N. LINDEN GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY DULUTH MINNESOTA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD GEO. KRAFT GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY ST. PAUL MINNESOTA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT UNMARKED
C. 1890s CABINET CARD POTTER & CO GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS PHILADELPHIA PA.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD DREW & BOOMER GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY DOVER NEW HAMPSHIRE
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD HEIGHSTEDT GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY MINNEAPOLIS MINNESOTA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD GILBERT & BAARN GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY PHILADELPHIA PENN.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD J. CHRISPYN GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY ALKMAAR NETHERLANDS
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD ALLEN HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE NEW YORK ORNATE BACK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD GLINES HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE STUDIO ON BACK BOSTON
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD YOUNG LADY IN DRESS BEIDEL CHAMBERSBURD PENNSYLVANIA
C. 1890s CABINET CARD NICHOLS FAMILY OF FOUR NAMED WAYNE CRAWFORD FINDLAY OHIO
C. 1890s CABINET CARD ALF. LINDHE GRANDMOTHER & GRANDCHILDREN STRENGNAS SWEDEN
1890s CABINET CARD WEALTHY FAMILY OF THREE WATERFALL IN BACKGROUND UNMARKED
1890s CABINET CARD FAMILY PHOTO J.D. RICHARDS NICOLET QUE
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD KURCHNER GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY NEW YORK ALBUM PRINT
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD MARSHALL BROS 2 SIBLINGS IN WHITE CAZENOVIA NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD GARRISON HANDSOME YOUNG MAN FORT DODGE IOWA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD GARRISON YOUNG HUSBAND & WIFE COUPLE FORT DODGE IOWA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD P.A. JOHNSON HUSBAND & WIFE COUPLE CUMBERLAND WISCONSIN
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD O. PENNIE SMITH GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY NEWARK NEW JERSEY
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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