Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Vernon Gallery Young Man High Collar Tie Richmond
1890s Vernon Gallery Cabinet Card Woman High Collar Dress Richmond VA Photo
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Slocum Studio Young Couple Portrait Copenhagen NY
Antique 1890s Cabinet Card Campbell & CO Young Woman Portrait Richmond
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Stafford & Son Elderly Woman Aunt Jane Chicago IL
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Atlas Studio Wedding Bride Groom Chicago IL
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Mcintosh Young Woman Short Curly Hair Gardiner
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s C H Gallup & CO Older Woman Poughkeepsie NY
Antique Cabinet Card 1880s Oliver Handsome Man Bald Mustache Suit Hat Oswego NY
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s H Johansson Photographer Man Seated Woman Sweden
Antique Cabinet Card C.J. Howe Elderly Woman Spectacles Vignette Elmira NY
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Saiber & Haeberle Man Mustache Suit Philadelphia PA
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Howe Man Woman Couple Portrait Elmira NY 137 E Water
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Holler Studios Woman Puffed Sleeve Dress Brooklyn NY
Antique Cabinet Card 1880s Paul's Block Woman Lace Collar Portrait Lewiston
Antique Cabinet Card 1880s E W Sprague Family Father Mother Baby Cleveland OH
Antique Cabinet Card 1880s Foss Garden Studio Woman Earring Malden MA
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s W W Foster Man Spectacles Eyeglasses Richmond
Antique Cabinet Card 1880s Stanley Handsome Man Mustache Suit Lewiston
Antique Cabinet Card 1880s Lamson Young Woman Lace Collar Portland me Photo
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Lamson Handsome Man Suited Portrait Portland
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Foster Handsome Man Large Mustache Suit Richmond
Antique Cabinet Card 1880s Elderly Man Beard Suit Glasses North Haverhill
Antique Cabinet Card Photo 1890s Stanley Young Woman Cross Brooch Lewiston
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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