Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Eberhardt Rommel Young Woman Neck Bow NY NY
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Phila Photo Gallery Baby Long Gown Chair Reading PA
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s A Wahlstrom Standing Gentleman Suit Wadena Minn
Antique Cabinet Card 1880s Newell & How Handsome Man Mustache Suit Boston
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Abbott & Law Young Woman High Collar Little Falls NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s J J Millikin OlderBlack Woman High Collar
Antique Cabinet Card 1880s Oe Borloug Elderly Couple Bowtie Dress Decorah IA
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s A R Orem Young Boy Big White Collar Bow Pose Stool
Antique Cabinet Card 1900s Blafka Studio Seated Bride Standing Groom Chicago
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Older Woman High Collar Dress Dark Framed Mount Photo
Antique Cabinet Card 1880s Dougherty Young Girl Lace Collar Waterloo NY Photo
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Lee & Burdick Handsome Man Jacket Suit Minneapolis
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Blackburn Woman Portrait High Collar Grand Forks Ndak
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Kellogg Young Man Suit Tie Red Wing Minn Photo
Antique Cabinet Card 1880s J. H. Smith Woman Brooch Button Dress Newark
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Dake & Son Handsome Man Striped Pants Medford
Antique Cabinet Card 1880s J N Paton Moustached Gentleman Seated Suit Glasgow UK
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Walter Lewis Portrait Young Girl OH City O Vignette
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s W.E. Service Woman Plaid Dress Bridgeton NJ Vignette
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Lacell Seated Man Standing Woman Couple Lisbon N Dak
Antique Cabinet Card 1880s Cope & Day Young Woman Bustle Dress Norristown PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Rise & Gates Elderly Woman Spectacles Pin Lebanon PA
Antique Cabinet Card 1880s Young Man Hand On Hip Book Carved Pedestal Suit
Antique Cabinet Card 1880s J.R. Pearson Woman Hair Up Bun Pittsburgh PA Photo
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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