Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Infant In Lace Christening Gown Draped Chair Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Wolcott Young Woman W/ Plaid Bow Coldwater Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Young Seated Woman Buttoned Dress & Neck Bow Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Alden's Young Girl Lace Collar Dress Seated Boston Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Patterson Toddler Boy In Dark Dress Macomb Illinois
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Two Young Victorian Girls In Dresses & Boots Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Genelli Mother & Daughter Dark Dresses Sioux City Ia
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Moustached Middle Aged Man In Three Piece Suit Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Young Married Couple Plain Dress & Bonnet Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Hazelton & Hill Two Young Girls In Pinafores Boston Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Brittingham Young Woman Silk Gown Feather Hat Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lothrop & Cunningham Aged Woman Lace Cap Providence Ri
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Taber B&w Young Woman Curly Hair San Francisco Ca
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Himes Older Lady W/ Feather Hat & Fur Traverse City Mi
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Keyn Young Woman Short Haired Dark Dress Omaha Ne
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Taber Young Victorian Woman High Collar & Bow Sf
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Taber Young Woman High Neck Dress San Francisco Ca
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Anderson & Kepler Young Bearded Gent Three Rivers Mi
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C. B. Bearded Elderly Gentleman Suit Cooperstown Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Woman Teen High Collar Dress Brooch Sf Ca
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Wheeler Two Girls In Victorian Dresses Astoria Or
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Taber Elderly Victorian Woman W/ Glasses San Francisco
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Miller Two Young Girls In Victorian Dresses St. Paul Mn
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.b. Cuyler Parents 2 Daughters & Infant Greenfield In
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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