Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Warren Young Woman High Collar Dress Hat Boston Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s G. J. Steinborn Young Man In Suit Hustisford Wis.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Abbott Two Young Boys In Sailor Collars Chicago Il
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Kempe Boy In Suit Early Teen Portrait Brooklyn Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Costello Young Woman Dark Victorian Dress Carthage Mo
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Langley Young Boy In Suit W/ Large Bow Manchester Nh
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Mccabe Seated Young Woman High Collar Dress Easton Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Wilder Toddler Girl Embroidered Dress Marion Illinois
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s J.d. Strunk Seated Toddler Girl In Dress Reading Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s A. W. Jordan Young Girl In Victorian Dress New York Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s R. H. Hamm Middle Aged Woman Dark Dress Chicago Il
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s V.p. Dennie Young Girl Dark Dress & Sash Valleyfield Qc
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Seated Couple Male W/ Stache & Female In Dress Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Family Formal Portrait Parents & 3 Girls Boy Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s L. Wallace Cook Elderly Woman Dark Dress Boston Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Young Boy In Sailor Suit Fur Rug Tree Stump Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s J. Berryman Victorian Couple Well Dressed Eastbourne Uk
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s A. E. Young Man Dark Suit & Pocket Watch Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Seated Man W/ Mustache & Glasses Dark Suit Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s A. Larson Young Man In Suit Standing Minneapolis Mn
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s George Kibbe Middle Aged Woman Lace Collar Amsterdam Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Elite Young Woman In Black Victorian Dress Chicago Il
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Little Girl 3 5 Dark Dress Lace Collar Boots Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s D.b. Vickery Older Woman Profile Lace Haverhill Mass.
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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