Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD OSBORN GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY WITH GLASSES COLDWATER MICH.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD FAMILY OF FOUR ALBUM PRINT UNMARKED
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD G.W. RICHARDSON HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE PHILADELPHIA
CIRCA 1900s CABINET CARD LAMONT & MOCK FAMILY OF THREE POTTSVILLE PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD A.I. NOWELL GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS STONEHAM MASS.
C. 1890s CABINET CARD GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN WHITE DRESS BROCKTON MASSACHUSETTS
C. 1890 CABINET CARD SUSAN DRAPER DAUGHTER OF CONFEDERATE GENERAL WILLIAM DRAPER
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD ROSHON GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY HARRISBURG PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN VICTORIAN DRESS ALBUM PRINT
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD STANTON & VICAR OLD BEARDED MAN TORONTO ONTARIO CANADA
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD OLD LADY IN FANCY DRESS ALBUM PRINT UNMARKED
1887 CABINET CARD POMEROY GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY WHITE DRESS ROCHESTER NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD B.F. OGDEN GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS ALBANY NEW YORK
CIRCA 1900s CABINET CARD SCHILLARE HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE NORTHAMPTON MASS.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD ROBERTS LADY HOLDING BOOK IN DRESS HARRISBURG PENN.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD MARTIN TWO YOUNG BOYS BROTHERS CHICAGO ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD GEO. J. KLEIN BABY IN LONG WHITE DRESS CHICAGO ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD SCHERER GORGOEUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS BUFFALO NEW YORK
C. 1890s CABINET CARD WILSON GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN FANCY DRSS CHICAGO ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD WILSON HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT CHICAGO ILLINOIS
C. 1890s CABINET CARD THOMAS GORGOEUS YOUNG LADY IN WHITE DRESS CHICAGO ILLINOIS
C. 1890s CABINET CARD L.M. MELANDER & BRO LADY IN BLACK DRESS CHICAGO ILLINOIS
C. 1890s CABINET CARD BROWN HANDSOME BEARDED MAN IN SUIT WAHPETON NORTH DAKOTA
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD SHIRTLESS FAMOUS SWIMMER NAMED L.D. BLONDELL
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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