Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Antique Cabinet Card Bearded Man Wavy Hair Oval Vignette Portrait Suit Bowtie
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Antique Cabinet Card J Laing Seated Victorian Gentleman Suit Shrewsbury UK
Antique Cabinet Card Jd Strunk Young Woman High Collar Dress Vignette Reading PA
Antique Cabinet Card Jd Strunk Young Woman Beaded Choker Collar Reading PA
Antique Cabinet Card Tuck Woman Spectacles High Collar Portrait Gloversville NY
Antique Cabinet Card L A ReidBlack Woman Bust Portrait Elaborate Collar Harvard
Antique Cabinet Card Woman Curly Bangs Lace Scarf Bow Dark Dress Vignette
Antique Cabinet Card Laming Handsome Man Mustache Button Coat Boston Highlands
Antique Cabinet Card Wimer Standing Man Three Piece Suit Lewistown PA
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Antique Cabinet Card Rosenquist Dapper Young Man 3 Piece Suit Studio Portrait
Antique Cabinet Card Standing Young Man Light Suit Hand On Hip Studio Chair Hat
Antique Cabinet Card Rothwell Woman High Collar Cross Pendant WA WA PA
Antique Cabinet Card R.H. Cline Young Girl Frill Collar Chair Buffalo NY
Antique Cabinet Card Charles Ward Dorman Bearded Man Curly Hair Suit Portrait
Antique Cabinet Card Worthley Handsome Mustache Man Tie Pin Lewiston Lewiston me
Antique Cabinet Card Cobb Man Mutton Chops Beard Suit Binghamton NY
Antique Cabinet Card Dardan Handsome Man Glasses Mustache Bow Tie Suit Portrait
Antique Cabinet Card Handsome Young Man Scalloped Border Polka Dot Cravat Tie
Antique Cabinet Card Fulton Studio W W Amos Elder Man Beard Lancaster PA
Antique Cabinet Card Jd Strunk Boy Suit Breeches Boots Chair Reading PA
Antique Cabinet Card Mcintosh Woman High Collar Brooch Portrait Gardiner me
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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