Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
1890 CABINET CARD C.S. ROSHON LADY IN BLACK DRESS LEBANON PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD 3 BROTHERS IN SAILORS OUTFITS GOWAN FOND DU LAC WIS.
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT DETAILED UNMARKED
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HANDOSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE OSWALD BROS MINNEAPOLIS MI.
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD ROSHON LADY IN BLACK VICTORIAN DRESS LEBANON PENN.
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD RHOADS LADY VICTORIAN DRESS PHILADELPHIA PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD KAUFFMAN LITLTE GIRL IN DRESS YORK PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD NEW YORK GALLERY LITTLE GIRL IN WHITE DRESS ON CHAIR
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD SURLEY OLD LADY IN DRESS UTICA NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD WERTZ GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN BLACK DRESS JEANNETTE PENN
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD LE RUE LEMER HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE HARRISBURG PA.
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD FUNERAL CARD HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT ALBUM PRINT
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD NEW YORK GALLERY LADY IN WHITE DRESS READING PENN.
1889 CABINET CARD KEETHLER & DAVIE TWO SISTERS IN DRESSES COLUMBUS OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD A.K.P. TRASK LADY IN VICTORIAN DRESS PHILADELPHIA PENN
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD BURNETT & SON GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS JEANNETTE PA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD VAN LOO YOUNG LADY IN DRESS NAMED CINCINNATI OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD G.W. HARRIS HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE JEANNETTE PENN.
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD W. HILE TEENAGE BOY FUNERAL MEMORIAL CARD GREENSBURG PA
C. 1890s CABINET CARD NEW YORK GALLERY GORGOEUS YOUNG LADYU READING PENNSYLVANIA
1888 CABINET CARD S.L. STEIN OLDER LADY IN FANCY DRESS MILWAUKEE MINNEAPOLIS
C. 1890s CABINET CARD DUNKLEE & BAU TWO YOUNG CHILDREN GREENFIELD MASSACHUSETTS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD MARCEAUS & POWER OLD BEARDED MAN ORNATE BACK INDIANA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD BENNETT & TATE HUSBAND & WIFE ROMANTIC PONTIAC ILLINOIS
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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