Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Antique Cabinet Card C Myland Toddler Child Winter Coat Bonnet Philadelphia PA
Antique Cabinet Card Fa Trader Emporia Kansas Young Woman Lace Collar Emporia KS
Antique Cabinet Card Aufrecht Woman High Collar Cameo Brooch Pittsburgh PA
Antique Cabinet Card Morey Young Child Boy Vignette Portrait Lynn Mass
Antique Cabinet Card Cardozo Girl Sailor Dress Suit Anchor Chevron Stripe Hat
Antique Cabinet Card J Jeanes Woman Profile Lace Dress Portrait Chester PA
Antique Cabinet Card Wm A Fermann Woman Velvet Bodice Pleated Stoughton Wis.
Antique Cabinet Card T S Bell Victorian Woman High Collar Portrait Altoona PA
Antique Cabinet Card Roshon Woman Puffed Sleeve Dress Scalloped Edge Lebanon PA
Antique Cabinet Card Wilkes Woman Vignette Portrait Baltimore Street MD
Antique Cabinet Card Rote Victorian Woman Portrait Puffed Sleeves Lancaster PA
Antique Cabinet Card L. W. Johnston Woman Short Hair Brooch New Castle PA
Antique Cabinet Card Haines Woman High Collar Pleated Bodice Philipsburg PA
Antique Cabinet Card Young Woman Striped Necktie Wide Collar Blouse Bust
Antique Cabinet Card Kruger Woman High Collar Brooch Puffed Sleeves Houtzdale PA
Antique Cabinet Card Handsome Young Man Vignette Bust Portrait Suit Necktie
Antique Cabinet Card Edwards Young Boys Holding Hands Porch Pittsburg PA
Antique Cabinet Card Choate Handsome Young Man Suit Tie Portrait Cumberland MD
Antique Cabinet Card Gilbert Young Woman Gibson Girl Hair Large Bow Tie Sailor
Antique Cabinet Card The Pinero Studio Woman Beaded High Collar Philadelphia PA
Antique Cabinet Card Hoffman Woman Lace Collar Brooch Pin Lebanon Ind
Antique Cabinet Card Portrait Woman High Collar Dress Puffy Sleeves Updo Hair
Antique Cabinet Card F Haffner Woman Velvet Bodice Picket Fence Cumberland MD
Antique Cabinet Card Darnell Four Men Suits Bowler Hats Cumberland Cumberland MD
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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