Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Antique Cabinet Card Circassian Princess Zuleika Sideshow Performer Hair Photo
Antique Cabinet Card G. D. Cochrane Young Woman Pleated Bodice Laconia NH
Antique Cabinet Card Davis Handsome Young Boy Pleated Coat Ellenville N.Y.
Antique Cabinet Card J A Taylor Victorian Woman Curly Updo Portrait Brooklyn NY
Antique Cabinet Card Photograph Boy Knickerbocker Suit Holding Hat Chair Studio
Antique Cabinet Card Beaman Ideal Studio Woman High Collar Laconia Laconia NH
Antique Cabinet Card Russell Handsome Young Man Suit Tie Stickpin Lawrence Mass
Antique Cabinet Card Metropolitan Studio Boy Girl Bonnet On Chair Portland me
Antique Cabinet Card J T Creighton Four Children Siblings Group Newark Newark NJ
Antique Cabinet Card Kenyon Son Portrait Julia Warren New London New London CT
Antique Cabinet Card D B Vickery Woman Curly Hair Lace Bodice Haverhill Mass
Antique Cabinet Card Hw Brooks Boy Girl Children Studio Portrait Baltimore MD
Antique Cabinet Card Weston Mcdannell Victorian Woman Standing Bedford Berlin PA
Antique Cabinet Card Rottmann Portrait Young Woman Puffed Sleeves Altoona PA
Antique Cabinet Card Lyon Baby Sheldon Russell White Gown Saginaw Saginaw MI
Antique Cabinet Card Harts Portrait CO Couple Puff Sleeve Dress Altoona PA
Antique Cabinet Card Glover Harriet Hough Portrait Saginaw Michigan Saginaw MI
Antique Cabinet Card Pausch Three Children Baby Lace Dresses Saginaw Saginaw MI
Antique Cabinet Card Moran Tucker Cordie Tucker Bust Portrait Canton Canton IL
Antique Cabinet Card J. R. Myers Woman Spectacles Lace Collar Fairfield IA
Antique Cabinet Card Myers Young Woman High Collar Lace Blouse Fairfield IA
Antique Cabinet Card J.W. Gilchrist Severe Woman Button Bodice Fairfield IA
Antique Cabinet Card Bremer Young Woman Pearl Necklace Scalloped Greenville Mich
Antique Cabinet Card Young Woman High Collar Button Bodice Dress Studio Portrait
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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