Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Woman In High Neck Dress Puff Sleeves Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bearded Middle Aged Man In Three Piece Suit Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Fontaine Young Couple Man High Neck Blouse Lowell Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Girl With Striped Hair Bow Lace Collar Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Woman High Neck Puffed Sleeves Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Gray Young Woman In High Neck Blouse & Choker Boston Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Woman Portrait White Draped Dress Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Wires Dapper Young Man In Tuxedo Lynn Massachusetts
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Smyth Woman In Ruffled High Collar Dress Milbridge Me
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Woman Lace Ruffled Gown Choker Portrait Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s M. Thomas Two Young Girls In White Dresses Shamokin Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.r. Smith Young Woman Profile Choker Fryeburg Me
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Smart Plaid Dressed Toddler W/ Bow Presque Isle Me
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s F.s. Smith Elderly Woman Glasses High Collar Caribou Me
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.a. Webster Baby In White Christening Gown Waltham Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s P.w. Tennant Young Woman Lace Collar Haverhill Mass.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s R.b. Lewis Two Young Girls In Lace Collars Hudson Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s R.b. Lewis Mature Woman High Collar Dress Hudson Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Handsome Young Man 20s Dark Suit & Ascot New London Ct
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s William A. Webster Young Woman In Dress Waltham Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Ye Rose Portrait Of Young Woman Brooch Providence Ri
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Crown Young Child In Ruffled Collar Blouse Lowell Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C. E. Alvord Young Woman High Collar Dress Detroit Mi
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Woman Ruffled High Neck Dress & Ribbon Unmarked
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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