Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E. O. Porter Bearded Middle Aged Man In Suit Newport Ky
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Steffens Mid 40s Mustached Gentleman In Suit Chicago Il
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.a. Dufford Young College Man In Suit West Sunbury Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Seeley's Warnock Elderly Bearded Man Bridgeport Ct
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s H. E. White Older Bearded Man In Suit Centre Ossipee Nh
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Family Of 6 Father & 5 Children Victorian Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hardy Handsome Young Man Suit & Cravat Boston Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Albany Young Woman Fur Trimmed Lace Dress New York Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Osgood Toddler In White Dress Barefoot Ellsworth Me
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s H.j. Voigt Formal Family W/ 4 Boys Gravenstein Germany
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Macnab Dapper Young Mustached Man In Suit New York Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Strunk Couple Woman W/ Lace Bow & Man Suit Reading Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A. E. Rinehart Young Woman In Victorian Dress Denver Co
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Three Young Women Victorian Dresses Bows Bust Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W. H. Mayne Young Woman Reclining Lace Dress Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E. S. Gray Young Mustached Man In Suit Jackson Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Pack Bros. Bearded Gentleman In Suit Cambridge Ma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s S. Berwick Young Man W/ Mustache & Flower Berwick Me
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s R.r. Penns Dapper Mustached Man In Tux La Crosse Wis.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Saylor's Bearded Middle Aged Man In Suit Reading Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Woman Sadie Jaff Hat Coat Richfield Springs Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bailey & Fuller Young Man W/ Bow Tie Haverhill Mass.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Schmid Mustached Young Man In Suit & Tie Buffalo Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s T.r. Lewis Bearded Man Mid 40s Suit Amesbury 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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