Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Truesdell & La Marsh Older Woman Lace Collar Kenosha Wi
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J. D. Lemer Young Man 20s Suit & Cravat Harrisburg Pa.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s F. J. Blake Baby In Christening Gown Bellows Falls Vt
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Middle Aged Woman High Collar Dress New Bedford Mass.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s F. S. Blackwell Young Woman High Neck Gown Lawrence Ma
Cabinet Card 1890s Lothrop & Cunningham Older Woman Bust Portrait Providence Ri
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Woman Teen Large Bow Puffed Sleeves Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A. Hoeblinger Young Man 20s Suit & Knit Tie Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Howe Young Man Late Teens Dark Jacket Old Town Maine
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bergman Young Woman High Collar Dress Louisville Ky
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Heald & Co. Vtg. Young Woman Ruffled Collar Prov. Ri
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Nast & Co. Young Woman High Collared Dress Denver Co
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W. C. Tuttle & Son Young Woman High Neck Belfast Maine
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Sutton Infant In White Lace Dress Hornellsville Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Antique Toddler Girl In White Dress Seated Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hardy Young Man In Suit & Tie Formal Portrait Boston Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s G. Wallace Wright Victorian Family New London Conn.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Swan & Cobb Victorian Family W/ Two Boys Norway Me
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s St. Louis Art Co Baby In Christening Gown St. Louis Mo
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s N. G. Selah Charming Infant In Bonnet & Gown Lubec Me
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Wheeler Young Man Formal Suit & Vest Goshen New York
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.a. Gunnison Young Woman High Neck W/ Cameo Boston Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Smith Young Girl Lace Dress Ribbons Sanford Maine
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Gardner & Philbrick Older woman bust p Biddeford, Main
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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