Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Stiffler & Kilgore Handsome Man In Suit Longmont CO
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bellsmith Lady In Dress Denver Colorado
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Chas. E. Emery Man with Mustache Suit Colorado
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s F.W. Grove Handsome Man In Suit Leadville Colorado
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s D.P. Morgan Cute Child in Dress Cripple Creek Colorado
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Drenkel Handsome Man in Suit Aspen Colorado
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Drenkel Handsome Man with Mustache Aspen CO
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bennett Young Man with Mustache Aspen Colo
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Drenkel Handsome Man in Suit Aspen CO
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Britton Young Gorgeous Lady In Dress Denver Colorado
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Wilson Handsome Young Cadet in Uniform Chicago IL
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s G. Frank E. Pearsall Handsome Cadet In Uniform Brooklyn
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Torrey Handsome Lawman Policeman Badge Tonawanda NY
Cabinet Card A.J. Holt Tornado Cyclone Disaster Aftermath Fairview Kansas
Cabinet Card 1884 Matter Minneapolis Academy of Music Fire Disaster Aftermath
Cabinet Card Rawlins Handsome Young Lawman? in Uniform Wichita KS Wild West
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Rogers Rural Farm Landscape Wichita Kansas Wild West
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J. Gubelman Man in Wagon Illustration Jersey City NJ
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s G.W. Varney Handsome Young Cadet in Uniform Chicago ILL
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E.B. Snell Family Cyclone Tornado Wellington Kansas
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E.B. Shell Tornado Cyclone Aftermath Wellington Kansas
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lawman Policeman in Uniform Denver Colorado Wild West
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Larson Cute Advertising Atlas Flour Baby Milwaukee Wis.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Handsome Hunter Holding Double Barrel Shotgun Dog
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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