Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s M. Dockweiler Hunchback Man Mustache Suit Mt. Carmel Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Jim Le Fever And Family Man Woman Six Children Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W. Harrington Three Men In Suits Williamsburg Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s T. M. V. Doughty Adeli Collins Baby Died Pneumonia
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Stolt Elderly Man Long White Beard Calumet Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Five Distinguished Men in Formal Suits Vests
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Cramer Carbonette Twin Infants Ornate Bonnets Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Family Man Women On Porch Victorian Farmhouse Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Man With Mustache In Hat & Suit By Pine Tree Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W. Greaves Three Elderly Men Stanion Leicester England
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Atelier Wolff Woman 3 Girls Hair Bows Darmstadt Germany
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Mcanally Family Rev. M.J. Martha Grandmother Unmarked
Cabinet Card C. 1890s Rounds Victorian Family Portrait Children Yankton Dakota
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E. Coatsworth Wedding Party Group Syracuse New York
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E.i. Horsman High Rock Spring Mineral Saratoga New York
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Kitty Hicks Mother Of Alma Hicks Rocking Chair Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Herman Wunder Three Young Boys Victorian Brooklyn NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Victorian Family Of 5 Man Woman Children Keighley UK
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Desharnais Formal Family Group Farnham Quebec Canada
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Group of Four Young Men and Women in Stylish Hat
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Kasten Man & Two Women Dark Dresses Freeport Illinois
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Iva Rucker Four Women & Girls Fashion Chancey Missouri
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Group Of Men & Boy In Suits Hats Shells Barrel
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Family of Six Man with Mustache Woman Four
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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