Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s G.s. North Young Woman Lace Blouse So. Norwalk Ct
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Kellmer Young Woman Lace High Collar Dress Hazleton Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.b. Duryea Elderly Woman High Neck Dress Brooklyn Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Reynolds Young Man Teen Dark Suit Brooklyn Ny Portrait
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Harris & Greene Elderly Woman Victorian Dress Utica Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.m. Gilbert Young Woman Ribbon Hair Philadelphia Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Beebe Woman In High Neck Embroidered Dress Amsterdam Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Patterson Young Woman Lace Collar Dress Macomb Il
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Knowlton Young Woman High Collar Blouse New York Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Farini Toddler Girl 28mo White Dress Bridgeport Ct
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s G.e.s. Dinturff Young Woman Puffed Sleeves Syracuse Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Infant In Bonnet & White Christening Gown Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Woman High Lace Collar Portrait Syracuse Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Man In Suit With Bowler Hat Glasses Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s D. C. Desmond & Co. Young Man In Suit Pueblo Colorado
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Woman Victorian Plaid Dress Puff Sleeves Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A.e. Dumble & Co. Young Formal Boy In Suit Rochester Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s L.v. Newell Mrs. Tucker Victorian Woman Portsmouth Nh
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Mart. Christensen Bespectacled Young Woman Sindal Dk
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s L.n. Hill Older Woman High Collar Dress So. Berwick Me
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Wm. Dean Older Woman In Black Dress Harrisonburg Va
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W. L. Sutton Young Woman Portrait Hornellsville Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s B. Etter Young Woman High Collar Dress Great Falls Nh
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Chas. Brockway Young Man In Suit & Tie Hillsboro Nh
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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