Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lynd Cute Baby In Dress Perry New York
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.E. Jackson Cute Baby In Dress Portland Maine
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Guiwits & Co. Gorgeous Lady Richfield Springs NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s M.R Barrett Old Bearded Man In Suit Hyde Park MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s T. Smith Husband and Wife Indiana PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s V.A. Stokes Young Lady In Dress Watertown NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A. Fandorf Old Lady Fancy Dress Berlin
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Gehrig Gorgeous Lady In Dress Chicago IL
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Chas. A. Saylor Handsome Man In Suit Reading PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.W. Sullivan Young Lady In Dress Philadelphia
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s V.S. Hawk Handsome Man In Suit Watertown NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.E. Clench Husband and Wife Iowa City Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Lady Eaton's Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lady In Dress Thors San Francisco CA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.F. Harvey Cute Baby In Gown Indianapolis IN
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.F. Shults Lady In Dress Warsaw MO
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.N. Choate Young Lady In Gown Carlisle PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Ginsmore Cute Baby In Dress Dover Maine
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A. Nerincx Young Lady In Dress Bruges Belgium
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Foljambe Bearded Man In Suit Cleveland Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s H.H. Yingling Mother with Children Latrobe PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s G.F. Grudens Young Lady In Dress Cortland NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.B. Pearson Gorgeous Lady In Dress Des Moines IA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Oles Gorgeous Lady In Dress Philadelphia 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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