Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C. B. Cooley Young Woman High Collar Cooperstown Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Eldredge Older Woman High Collar Dress Adrian Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s H.a. Steele Young Couple Floral Dress & Suit Jackson Mi
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Infant In White Christening Gown Unmarked Location
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Packard Baby Myra E. Cobb 3.5mo White Gown Kalamazoo Mi
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Crowell Mature Woman High Collar Lace Rochester Mn
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E. Warmbold Girl & Boy In Victorian Dress Chicago Il
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Roshon Couple Victorian Plaid Dress Suit Lebanon Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Seated Young Woman Victorian Dress & Jewelry Racine Wi
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Toddler Girl In White Dress Striped Socks Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s New York Gallery Seated Infant In Lace Gown Reading Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Ny Gallery Young Girl Bangs White Dress Reading Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Elderly Woman In Black Beaded Dress Hair Up Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s G. H. Ford Woman White Victorian Dress Corunna Mich.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C. Holdmann Boy In Jacket & Bow Tie W/ Hat Chicago Il
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Millard Scranton Pa Mature Woman Floral Dress Victorian
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Will Hawkins Young Man In Suit & Bow Tie Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s R.h. Herbst Toddler Girl In White Dress Lebanon Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s L. H. Wolfe Seated Infant In Lace Gown Lebanon Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Martin & Martin Young Woman In Dress & Hat Chicago Il
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Anton Rohde Mustached Man In Suit Bowtie Chicago Il
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Woman High Collar Dark Jacket Unmarked Location
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Kramer Boy In Suit W/ Plaid Bow Tie Des Moines Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Perry Rush Cobb 3yr Boy In Large Bow Unmarked Location
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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