Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Seated Child In Velvet Jacket & Hat New York Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Chamberlain Woman In High Collar Dress Woonsocket Ri
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Seated Elderly Woman High Collar Brooch Unmarked Photo
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Medbery Ewell Co. Infant In White Gown Providence Ri
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Smith & Coatsworth Woman Florence E. Carr Syracuse Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Middle Aged Woman Lace Collar Portrait Sepia Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.g. Lee Dapper Young Man W/ Vest & Collar Rochester Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Harris & Greene Older Woman High Collar Dress Utica Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Henry A. Chapman Older Lady Lace Collar Gloves Swansea
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Woman In Puff Sleeve Dress Unmarked Location
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s T. H. Pickles Young Man In Tweed Suit Lawrence Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Macnabb Young Woman Puffed Sleeves Collar New York Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Heald & Co. Young Woman Victorian Dress Providence Ri
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s R.b. Lewis Infant In White Christening Gown Hudson Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Morton Little Girl In White Dress & Bow Providence Ri
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s L.b. Williams Mature Woman Lace Scarf Utica New York
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s L.f. Bates Young Woman High Neck Blouse Providence Ri
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Beatty Seated Boy In Suit Watch Chain Milford Mass.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s H. A. Kemp Woman W/ Glasses High Collar Warren Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s A. A. Cooley Mother & Son Formal Dress Cooperstown Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s H.f.post Young Woman Dark Dress Pendant Paterson Nj
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Baby Boy Infant In White Gown Seated On Chair Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Schartel Infant In White Gown On Chair Lebanon Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s William A. Webster Infant On Chair Waltham Ma
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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