Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD B. ETTER HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE ROCHESTER NEW HAMP.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD GLINES GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN FANCY DRESS WASHINGTON
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD W.S. ANSPACH YOUNG SISTERS IN DRESSES LEBANON PENN.
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD J.N. REYNOLD HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE BURLINGTON IOWA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD J.G. STENGER BABY IN LONG DRESS CATHOON DEPOT NEW YORK
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD DRAPER GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS PHILADELPHIA PENN.
1883 CABINET CARD HANDSOME MAN IN SUIT WITH MUSTAHCE NAMED WILL SAURANK
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD PERKINSON LADY IN FANCY DRESS 125 ST. NEW YORK
1893 CABINET CARD McCLAIN GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY NAMED CONNERSVILLE INDIANA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD STEVENS GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS CHICAGO ILLINOIS
C. 1890s CABINET CARD PIFER & BECKER GORGEOUS LADY CHRISTMAS NOTE CLEVELAND OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD GENELLI BABY IN LONG WHITE DRESS ST. LOUIS MISSOURI
C. 1880s CABINET CARD SCHOENFELDER HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE NEWARK NEW JERSEY
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD W.A. DUNCAN OLD LADY IN BONNET PEIRCE CITY MISSOURI
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD CHENOWETH GORGEOUS OLD LADY KEARNEY NEBRASKA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD LERUE LEMER HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE HARRISBURG PENN.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HARLOW HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE WARE MASSACHUSETTS
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD THE FANSONS THEATER PERFORMANCE MAN ON MINITURE HORSE
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD LEE OLDER LADY IN FANCY VICTORIAN DRESS PHILLIPSBURG NJ
1981 CABINET CARD SINGHI GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS BINGHAMPTON NEW YORK NAMED
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD FRITS YOUNG LADY IN BLACK DRESS READING PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD STAR GALLERY YOUNG BOY IN SLEEPWEAR WITH TOY HORSE WIS.
CIRCA 1900s CABINET CARD GLOBE PHOTO CO. LITTLE BOY AT HOUSE BINGHAMTON NEW YORK
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD LE RAY & TERRILL GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY YOUNGSTOWN OHIO
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.
Have Cabinet Cards to sell?
We buy cabinet card singly or by the lot. Send a few photos and we'll have an offer back in 24–48 hours.
Get an offer →