Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s O'neil Handsome Man Fur Collar Coat 31 Union Sq NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Ryder Young Woman Updo Collar Bust Portrait Syracuse NY
Antique Cabinet Card 1880s Hess Studio Two Young Boys Bow Ties Mifflintown PA
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Hh Yingling SeatedBlack Woman Brooch Latrobe PA Photo
Antique Cabinet Card 1880s Bon Ton Young Woman Standing Dress Wahoo NE
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Shadle & Busser Woman Oval Portrait Brooch York PA
Antique Cabinet Card 1880s O S Saurman Two Women Babies & Boy Norristown PA
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Studio Portrait Young Couple Man Suit Woman Polka Dot
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Tanquerey Young Woman Hair Comb Bow Collar NY
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Johnson Family Group Babies Portrait Cumberland
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s J R Potter Young Boy Suit Vest Buffalo NY NY
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Geo H Hastings Toddler Plaid Skirt Boston MA Photo
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s East End Gallery Woman Glasses Decatur IL Portrait
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Baby Frederick Bingham Hill Long White Christening
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Cute Baby Infant White Gown Bonnet High Chair Photo
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Imperial Studio Woman High Collar Lace Brooch Newark OH
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s J W Hennigar Woman High Collar Dress New Rochelle NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Rasmus Studio Man Moustache Suit Leonard Paxton IL
Antique Cabinet Card 1880s Dougherty Young Man Bust Portrait Waterloo NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Morris Toddler Boy Kilt Skirt Standing Pittsburgh PA
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s J C Brannan Young Boy Striped Collar Athens OH
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Prof G L Eastman Young Woman Ella Portland or
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Aufrecht Three Young Children Siblings Pittsburgh PA
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Lachman Studio Cute Baby Long Gown Dress Pottstown PA
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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