Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Taber Victorian Studio Portrait Young Woman Bow Tie Sf
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s F. E. Post Mustachioed Man In Suit Denver Colorado
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s R. P. Holand Two Young Girls In Dresses Grand Forks Nd
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Ellingson Bros. Two Men Suits & Watch Chains Denver Co
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s G.w. Mcdonald Young Mustached Man W/ Bow Tie Denver Co
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A.p. Webb Youngstown Oh Young Couple Victorian Dress
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Moreno & Lopez Elderly Bearded Man In Suit New York
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Taber Young Woman Victorian High Collar Dress Sf Ca
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E.r. Wardell Little Girl White Dress Sash Trenton Nj
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Sours Two Young Brothers In Knickerbockers Denver Co
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W. S. Evans Baby Girl In Lace Dress Hiawatha Kansas
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Taber Young Woman High Collar Brooch San Francisco Ca
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.s. Robertshaw Curly Girl Sailor Blouse Shreveport La
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A. W. Phipps Young Woman Lace Collar New Castle Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Baby Girl Seated In Frilly Dress Infant Photo Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Mendenhall & Son Portrait W/4 Children Maryville Mo
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s L.f. Hammer Jr. Mustached Man W/ Glasses St. Louis Mo
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s M. Intosh Toddler In Fur Trim Coat & Hat Gardiner Me
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Elmer Chickering Woman Profile High Bun Dress Boston
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Etters Portrait Adult Man W/ Mustache Somersworth Nh
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Doolittle Man W/ Glasses & Bow Tie East Stroudsburg Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Family Formal Photo Father Mother & 5 Children Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Nelson Bros Young Woman Puff Sleeve Dress St. Paul Mn
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bushnell Foto Smiling Baby In White Gown Oakland Ca
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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