Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.R. Ireland Elderly Woman High Collar Dress Holton KS
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Man In Dark Suit & Bow Tie Standing Kingman Kansas
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Elliott Parents With Teen Daughter Stockton California
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Adult Man Three Piece Suit Omaha Nebraska
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s H. E. Brown Victorian Family W/ Children Oakley Ks
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.r. Ireland Three Young Boys In Suits Holton Kansas
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.r. Ireland Curly Toddler Girl In Lace Dress Holton Ks
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Archbishop Corrigan of New York Cleric In Robes
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Woodland Stream Waterfall In Birch Forest Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Infant In Long Christening Gown In Ornate Pram Unmarked
Cabinet Card C. 1890s 4 Elderly Women In Dark Victorian Dresses Photo of Tintype
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Mary Emma Garland Seated Mid 40s Woman Bike Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Two Men In Buggy With Horses In Suits Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Men With Horse Drawn Wagon Straw Hats Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s D. Lord Gothic Stone Church Exterior Farnley England
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A.f. Smith Lillie May Marsden Floral Tribute Trenton Mo
Cabinet Card Circa T. Richard Swiss Woman Red Skirt Berne Switz. Hand Tinted
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Mustached Man In Hat & Suspenders Wild West Era
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Old Mustached Man In 3 Piece Suit Holding Cane Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s 3 Male Farmhands On Hay Wagon & Horse Des Moines Ia
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.M. Oaks Young Woman White Puffed Dress Holton KS
Cabinet Card 1890s Pierson Large Outdoor Picnic Women Children Clinton Oklahoma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Man With Horse & Two Women In Carriage Hats Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Fisher Three Young Women Victorian Dresses Towanda Pa
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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