Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Unidentified Young Man In 20s Suit & Cravat Leaf Masque
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s 2 Story Victorian Farmhouse With Picket Fence Florida
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Whittier Seated Woman High Collar Dress Henniker NH
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s H.S. Young Soldier Campaign Jacket & Puttees WW1
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s T.M. Melander Clergyman In Robes Chicago Il
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Boy Double Breast Suit & Bow Tie Next to Piano
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Edith Daly 100yo Woman Holding Baby Infant Lace Gown
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Infant In Bonnet & Long Gown In Wicker Pram Laughing
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.w. Anderson. Moustached Young Man In Suit Photo Car
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s S. J. Nieding Two Young Ladies Victorian Toledo Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Elite Sepia Young Woman High Collar Dress Chicago Il
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Kiss Jozsef Young Officer In Uniform Budapest Hungary
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s T. A. Eggleton Young Man In Suit & Tie Stirling Ont.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s G.c. Arless Teen Boy Suit & Knickers Montreal Canada
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Freckled Teen Boy Dark Suit & Tie Formal Ornate
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Field. Older Woman Standing Dark Dress Montreal Canada
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Heidelberg Castle Lithograph Panoramic View Germany
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Israel Andy Davidson Man In Suit & Bowtie Wichita Ks
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Colonne Vendome Monument Place Vendome Paris France
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Sepia July Column & Liberty Statue Bastille Paris
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Tomb Of Napoleon I Sarcophagus Les Invalides Paris
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Palais Garnier Grand Opera House Exterior Paris France
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.r. Ireland Mother & Infant In White Gown Holton Ks
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.R. Ireland Mustached Man Wearing Bow Tie Holton Ks
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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