Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Swingley Snow Effect Baby In Winter Coat And Hat New Castle Indiana
Cabinet Card Robinson Bro's. Young Gorgeous Lady With Guitar Osceola Iowa
Cabinet Card Wilson Gorgeous Young Woman Snake Charmer Performer Chicago
Cabinet Card Five Young Women In Victorian Dress Pouring Drinks in Goblets
Cabinet Card Cute Young Boy With Cat On Shoulder Wearing Hat Suspenders Unmarked
Cabinet Card F. H. Meyer Cute Children In Boat Dolls Altenbruch Germany
Cabinet Card H. T. Biel Group Playing Cards Men Mustaches Terre Haute Indiana
Cabinet Card E. D. Zellner Group Of Soldiers With Dog Junction City Kansas
Cabinet Card Young Handsome Man Military Uniform Rifle Cartridge Belt Indian War
Cabinet Card Stanton & Cater Handsome Young Men Brothers Dog Rifle Byesville OH
Cabinet Card Will Mobley Three Young Men Drinking Playing Cards Salem Indiana
Cabinet Card Stillman Young Handsome Firefighter Man Jeffords Hose Jamestown NY
Cabinet Card Bishop Three Young Women In Star Halloween Costumes Sandusky Ohio
Cabinet Card Young Gorgeous Brothel Risque Lady In Dress & Stockings Relaxing
Cabinet Card Young Handsome Indian Wars Soldier With Rifle Boston Massachusetts
Cabinet Card Weaver Two Occupational Men Mustaches Saws Carl Junction Missouri
Cabinet Card Sawtelle Handsome Policeman in Uniform With Badge Biddeford Maine
Cabinet Card Roshon Cute Christian Girl In White Dress Holding Cross Lebanon Pa
Cabinet Card Circa Young Handsome Man with Mustache Wearing Cap With Bicycle
Cabinet Card Morast Indian Wars Soldier Uniform Holding Rifle Tampa Florida
Cabinet Card Victorian Post-Mortem Child In White Dress In Coffin
Cabinet Card H. M. Judd Young Man & Cute Child On Bicycle Chicopee Falls Mass
Cabinet Card Descheuka & Johnson Handsome Man Mustache Bicycle Spencer Iowa
Cabinet Card Kilburn Art Co. Young Gorgeous Lady With Bicycle Poplar Bluff MO.
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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