Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Witcomb 3 Children White Frocks Buenos Aires Argentina
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bruce & Corti Baby In Lace Christening Gown Marshall TX
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Cute Parcell Boy & Girl With Doll Kirksville Mo.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bearded Elderly Man In Fraternal Regalia Newark NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Man On Horseback Smoking In Suit & Hat Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Guthrie Middle aged Woman in Dark Dress Guthrie OK
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Armantrout Boy & Girl Lace Collar Dress Hennessey Okla.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Smiling Infant in White Christening Gown Woodward Okla.
Cabinet Card C. 1890s Young Man in Three Piece Suit Bow Tie Hennessey Oklahoma
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s H. Olivant Young Girl Lace Bonnet Hennessey Oklahoma
Cabinet Card C. 1890s Mrs. Mattie Watson in plaid dress Poteau Indian Territory
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s H. C. Holmes Child in Embroidered Dress Marshall Tex.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Anthony Seated Infant in White Gown Longview Texas
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Paris & Rothwell Older woman dark dress San Antonio TX
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bruce & Corti Seated Infant in White Dress Marshall TX
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Drenkel Handsome Man in Suit Aspen Colorado
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Central Photo Parlors Gorgeous Lady Denver Colorado
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Beebe Family in Fancy Clothes Denver Colorado
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Drenkel Family Aspen Colorado
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s M.E. Chase Handsome Man with Mustache Greeley Colorado
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s G.T. Wilkins Handsome Man with Mustache Colo
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Nast Man with Mustache In Suit Denver Colorado
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A. Martin Cute Child In Dress Denver Colorado
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Shaw Gorgeous Lady In Dress Pueblo Colorado
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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