Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Perkins Adorable Seated Baby In White Gown Portage Wi
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Smith's Seated Mature Woman Victorian Dress Chicago
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Victorian Formal Family Portrait 2 Toddlers Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s E. L. Eaton Young Dapper Boy Suit & Straw Hat Omaha Ne
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Derstine Family Man Woman Girl & Infant Lewistown Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s W. J. Lee Young Man 20s Suit High Collar Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s John D. Ekmer Elderly Bearded Man Suited Harrisburg Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Ny Gallery Young Woman High Collar Portrait Reading Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Elderly Couple Seated Man & Standing Woman Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s W. E. Young Woman Braided Hair Dark Dress Phoenix Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s W.c. Bell Standing Toddler Girl In White Dress York Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Smith Child W/ Basket White Dress East Saginaw Mich.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Morris Infant In Ruffled Bonnet & Gown Pittsburgh Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Shadle & Busser Elderly Woman High Neck Dress York Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Robt. Galloway Young Woman In Hat & Tailored Jacket Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s A.m. Keith Sisters Girl & Baby Dark Dress Fredonia Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Kempf Toddler White Dress & Pendant Posed Brooklyn Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Zolk Bros. Family Portrait Parents & 2 Sons Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s S. S. Richards Young Woman High Collar Dress Newark Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Miller Young Mustached Man Vested Suit Concord N.h.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s W. L. Roush Young Boy 6 8 Sailor Suit Cane Newark Nj
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s A.o. Reed 3 Webb Children Victorian Dress Brunswick Me
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s W.g. Marsh Young Boy & Woman Victorian Louisville Ky
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s New York Gallery Child In Plaid Dress & Bow Reading Pa
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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