Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
CIRCA 1870s CABINET CARD REEDING & DOWNING BABY IN WHITE DRESS MUNCY PENN.
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD S.L. STEIN HANDSOME BEARDED MAN MILWAUKEE WISCONSIN
1897 CABINET CARD HARRY THE GREAT LESTER GRANDFATHER OF MODERN DAY VENTRILOQUISM
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD HANA THEATER PERFORMERS MAN WEARING MASK LONDON ENGLAND
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD STRUNK BABY IN WHITE DRESS READING PENNSYLVANIA
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD KABLEY YOUNG LADY IN FANCY DRESS CLINTON MASSACHUSETTS
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD STANLEY OLDER LADY IN BLACK DRESS ITHACA NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD P.A. JOHNSON BABY IN WHITE DRESS CUMBERLAND WISCONSIN
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD DONOVAN LADY IN BLACK DRESS WEARING BICORNE NEW YORK
CIRCA 1900s CABINET CARD LADY SITTING AT LAKE NAMED ON BACK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD STUART YOUNG THEATER BOY WEARING CLOGS BUFFALO NEW YORK
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD E.G. LACEY HANDSOME YOUNG MAN MORRISTOWN NEW JERSEY
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD LEE HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT PHILLIPSBURG NEW JERSEY
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD LAMON & MACK HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE POTTSVILLE PENN
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD STAFFORD HANDSOME MAN WITH MUSTACHE CHICAGO ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD HOWARD OLD MAN IN SUIT FITCHBURG MASSACHUSETTS
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD STEINMAN HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT PHILADELPHIA PENN.
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD E.V. MOTE HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN SUIT GREENVILLE OHIO
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD TWO YOUNG CHILDREN BROTHER & SISTER ALBUM PRINT
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD SPARROW OLD LADY IN FANCY DRESS PHOENIX NEW YORK
CIRCA 1900s CABINET CARD EMIL BABKA BABY IN WHITE DRESS CHICAGO ILLINOIS
CIRCA 1890s CABINET CARD JAMES GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN DRESS NEW YORK
CIRCA 1880s CABINET CARD GORGEOUS YOUNG LADY IN FANCY DRESS ALBUM PRINT
CIRCA 1900s CABINET CARD PICKARDS STUDIO HANDSOME YOUNG MAN PHILADELPHIA PENN.
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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