Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bennetts Young Woman In Victorian Dress Woonsocket Ri
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Medbery Ewell & Co. Young Man In Suit Providence Ri
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s L. A. Richardson Toddler In White Gown Leominster Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Brown Victorian Kids Boy & Girl Lace Collars Newport Nh
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Wolfenstein Young Woman In Plaid Dress New Bedford Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Field & Gardenier Elderly bearded seate Albany, New Yor
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Taylor & Preston Toddler Girl White Dress Salem Mass.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Wm. H. Allen Older Woman Puffed Sleeves Dress Boston Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s G. Waldon Smith Young Man Portrait Dark Coat Boston Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Man Early 20s Formal Suit & Tie Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Emily Stokes Young Woman High Collar Brooch Boston Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Reynolds Mature Woman High Collar Dress Washington D.c.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Mcfadden Young Woman Curly Hair Lace Collar Boston Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Man In Suit Starched Collar Portrait Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Holmes Toddler Girl White Dress Maynard & Ayer Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Wm. G. Hussey Lucy Moore Middle Aged Woman Salem Mass.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s St. John Infant In White Christening Gown Hartford Ct
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Stimson Lace Collar Woman & Mustached Man Cheyenne Wy
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hopkins Two Girls Toddler & Sister Junction City Ks
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s H. E. Strout Young Bride & Groom Wedding Brockton Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s H. M. Finley Young Woman Lace Collar Canandaigua Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.a. Streeter Young Boy & Girl Lace Junction City Ks
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s James Three Young Children White Gowns Iowa City Ia
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.e. Rose Young Couple Victorian Clothing Denver Colo.
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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