Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1860s Barrett Two Victorian Women Dog Chicago IL
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1860s Mustache Man Oval Bow Border Lace Collar Suit
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1860s S Gurnee Handsome Young Man Ribbon Marion N.Y.
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1860s Rockwood Distinguished Bearded NYC Union Square
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1860s Will Bartholomew Handsome Mustache Tweed Suit
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1860s Woman Lace Yoke High Collar Hair Ribbon Oval
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1860s J S Fritz Handsome Mustache Man Reading PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1860s Alex Hesler Bearded Man Suit Tie Chicago IL
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1860s Handsome Man Mustache Patterned Haverhill MA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1860s Pw Tennant Son Bearded Bald Man Haverhill Mass
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1860s New York Gallery Woman Curly Hair Reading PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1860s King Elderly Man Chin Beard Hagerstown MD
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1860s Roshon Studio Profile Young Man Suit Lebanon PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1860s Wagoner & Son Young Man Suit Hagerstown MD
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1860s DE Youngs Mustache Man Pattern Tie New NY NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1860s Appel Dapper Man Mustache Suit Bench Hamburg PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1860s Geo E Cole Men Mustache West Charleston VT
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1860s DE Lamater Handsome Man Mustache Hartford CT
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1860s Brown Elder Man Seated Victorian Bluffton Ind
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1860s Gillmore & Mcintyre Woman Putnam Conn
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1860s Young Girl Oval Portrait High Collar Lace
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1860s Grandmother & Granddaughter Portrait New NY NY
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1860s Santman Mustache Man Suit Philadelphia PA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1860s Gordon Two Women High Collar Pocomoke City MD
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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