Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Scofield Man W/ Cane & Young Lady In Hat Utica Ny
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Rigby Elderly Seated Man 3 Piece Suit Regina Sask.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Smith Elderly Mustached Man In Suit East Saginaw Mich.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C. G. Anders Bearded Older Man In Suit La Grange Ind.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Irving Saunders Mustached Man Victorian Coat Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Warmkessel Elderly Bearded Man In Suit Allentown Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s P.a. Rasmus Young Woman Portrait Paxton Illinois
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.k. Stevens Dapper Young Man In Suit Cravat Chicago Il
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s F. E. Musser Young Man In Suit & Mustache Harrisburg Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E.t. Brigham Young Woman Pearl Choker Shawl Dover Nh
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Woman Lace Collar & Watch Chain Cincinnati Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J. H. Leonard Young Woman High Collar Dress Topeka Ks
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Leonard Young Man Teen Large Bow Tie Topeka Kansas
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Elderly Bearded Man In Formal Suit Portrait Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Beckmann Young Man Mustache & Suit Saginaw Mich.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Upton Bearded Gentleman In Suit & Bow Tie Berlin Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Leonard Young Woman Portrait Lace Collar Opelika Al
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A.p. Drew Bearded Middle Aged Man In Suit Dover Nh
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Pross Dapper Young Man W/ Mustache & Suit Lewisburg Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Brigden & Geisler Young Woman Lace Collar Cleveland Oh
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Beardsley Young Woman Holding Bouquet Charlotte Mich.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Blackstone Young Man W/ Overcoat & Hat Greeneville Ct
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Waldon Smith Bride & Groom W/ Gown & Veil Boston Mass.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.w. Pontius Young Girl In Lace Collar Swayzee 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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