Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Multi-View Cabinet Card Circa 1890s George & Vesta Babies Frilly White Dress
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Henry S. Stovall Family Group Of Seven Mcfall Missouri
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hunsicker & Warmkessel Family Victorian Allentown Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s S. Rose Scenic Ilsenburg Town View Wernigerode Germany
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Orlov Scenic View Gurzuf Village & Ayu Dag Yalta Crimea
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s John H. Thurston Group of men and Boston Massachusetts
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Baby Sherwood 3.5 Months Ornate Lace Bassinet Unmarked
Cabinet Card C. 1890s Roessinger Jeanneret Mountain Town Davos Switzerland Alps
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hoff's Two Women Ornate Dresses Denison & Manning Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bostwick Woman With Dark Hair Window Sill New York
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Toddler Child In White Dress Holding Toy Horse Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Girl In White Dress With Doll
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bearded Man At Roll Top Desk Writing In Ledger Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E. H. Palmer Elderly Woman In Rocking Chair Waupaca Wi
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Miller's Woman With Glasses Holding Book Anamosa Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Protheroe Boy in Sailor Suit & Girl Bristol England
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lawrence Barrett Stage Actor Man Curly Hair New York
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Schumacher Young Boy Sailor Suit Toy Horse Newark NJ
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s L. E. Thayer Woman Long Curly Hair Dress Newport Vt
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s H. Larock. Young Man In Hooded Monk Robe Lewiston Maine
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Man Cyclist Athlete Sweater Medal Safety
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s John Christoph Large Family Portrait Ellinwood Kansas
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s M. Faldmo Infant Baby White Dress Salt Lake City Utah
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Hoffman Infant Child Frilly Dress Tennis Racket NY
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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