Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
1897 CABINET CARD GRADUATION PHOTO LADY IN WHITE DRESS CLASS OF '97
CIRCA 1900s CABINET CARD CUTE LITTLE GIRL IN WHITE DRESS UNMARKED
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HAYES LITTLE GIRL IN WHITE DRESS PORTLAND OREGON
CIRCA 1900s CABINET CARD EMPIRE CUTE LITLE BOY OUTSIDE ELMIRA NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD LADY IN AMAZING FANCY VICTORIAN DRESS UNMARKED
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD JARVIS WHITE LADY IN BLACK DRESS DAVENPORT IOWA
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD LACHMAN CUTE LITTLE GIRL IN BLACK DRESS POTTSTOWN PENN.
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD C.L. HARPER LADY IN DRESS SPECTACULAR DETAIL CLEARFIELD
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD STRUNK LADY IN FANCY BLACK DRESS READING PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD TOMB OF NAPOLEON EMPEROR OF FRANCE PARIS FRANCE
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD MARTIN YOUNG CATHOLIC BOY IN ROBES LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD BORGSTROM LITTLE GIRL IN WHITE DRESS TAYLOR TEXAS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD W.H. NEWTON HANDSOME MAN FRANK SLAY ITALY TEXAS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD EICHELBERGER LITTLE GIRL IN WHITE DRESS CROCKETT TEXAS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD ERSLY BABY GIRL IN WHITE DRESS HILLSBORO TEXAS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD ROSE GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS GALVESTON TEXAS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HARRY EICHELBERGER BABY IN WHITE DRESS CROCCKETT TEXAS
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD C.S. SAURMAN HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT NORRISTOWN PA.
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD GEORGE BECK AMERICAN POLITICIAN IN THE WYOMING SENATE
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD RANGER HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE SYRACUSE NEW YORK
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD F.W. GUERIN HUGH DINSMORE CONGRESSMAN FROM ARKANSAW
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD SIR FREDRIC LEIGHTON PAINTING OF YOUNG LADY
1894 CABINET CARD D.AIUKLE GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS GERMANTOWN PHILADELPHIA
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD WHITSRUCK HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE ST. PAUL MINNESOTA
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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