Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Antique Cabinet Card Dengler Young Woman Victorian Lace Collar Slatington PA
Antique Cabinet Card James Bonney Girl Lace Collar South Bend South Bend in
Antique Cabinet Card Fay Woman Pearl Necklace Braided Hair Joliet Joliet IL
Antique Cabinet Card Knaffl Three Children Baby Gown Plaid Tie Knoxville TN
Antique Cabinet Card Fritz Bohm Elegant Young Woman Long White Gown Cottbus
Antique Cabinet Card Baltimore Photo CO Three Children Big Bow Ties Baltimore MD
Antique Cabinet Card Clark Handsome Young Boy Suit Ascot Streator Streator IL
Antique Cabinet Card Jeanes Handsome Young Man Suit Tie Portrait Chester PA
Antique Cabinet Card Scholfield & Tingley Woman Portrait New London Mystic CT
Antique Cabinet Card Photograph Baby Toddler White Lace Gown Wicker Chair
Antique Cabinet Card Elmer Chickering Handsome Young Man Mustache Boston MA
Antique Cabinet Card M Frank Miller Victorian Woman Curly Bangs Ruffle Collar
Antique Cabinet Card Cummings Handsome Moustachioed Man High Collar Balto MD
Antique Cabinet Card Nyemetz Handsome Man Mustache Tie Pin Chester PA
Antique Cabinet Card Am Powers Handsome Young Man High Collar Schenectady NY
Antique Cabinet Card Van Woert Handsome Man Mustache Suit Oneonta NY
Antique Cabinet Card P Brandmo Young Boy Holding Cane Stick Montevideo Minn
Antique Cabinet Card R R Haug Baby Child White Gown Settee Philadelphia PA
Antique Cabinet Card Hurst Young Man Suit Tie Stickpin Ridge Ave Phila PA
Antique Cabinet Card Crofoot Handsome Young Man Suit Tie Kendallville Ind
Antique Cabinet Card Conant Toddler Child Lace Dress Chair Portland Portland me
Antique Cabinet Card Toddler Girl White Lace Dress Standing Carved Chair Boots
Antique Cabinet Card Sherwin & Foster Cute Baby White Gown Athol Athol MA
Antique Cabinet Card Rivers Family Portrait Parents Three Children Putnam CT
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.
Have Cabinet Cards to sell?
We buy cabinet card singly or by the lot. Send a few photos and we'll have an offer back in 24–48 hours.
Get an offer →