Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Polensky Cute Baby in Gown Chicago IL
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Robinson Lady In Fancy Dress Chicago Illinois
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E.M. Jackson Cute Boy Fancy Outfit Chicago Illinois
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Joshua Smith Cute Girl With Basket Chicago Ill.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s G.v.d. Lippe Gorgeous Lady In Dress Vienna Austria
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Climo Gorgeous Lady in Dress St. John NB Canada
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Cute Boy In Navy Sailor Fancy Outfit Quakertown PA.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Nils Thomason Family In Outdoors Are Sweden
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lyon Gorgeous Group of Ladies Saginaw Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Warren Bearded Soldier in Uniform Boston MA.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Newsboy Gorgeous Actor Della Fox In Fur New York
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Manson Handsome Man with Mustache Madison SD
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s F.E. Musser Cute Baby in Carriage Harrisburg PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A. Szo Family Group Elegant St. Joseph Missouri
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Weidner Old Couple In Formal Attire Illinois Dag Copy
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Sharpsteen Two Ladies Elegant Attire Kalamazoo Mich.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E.M. Maynard Young Man In Suit Holding News Sunbury OH
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Cute Boy With Wheelbarrow Unmarked
Cabinet Card C. 1880s Wenshel Gorgeous Lady In Dress Holding Book Chicago Ill.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lark's Handsome Man Holding Photo Album Ruma IL
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W. Griffin Bearded Man In Suit Hebron NE
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.E. Johns Three Gorgeous Ladies Lexington KY
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s H.G. Hall Romantic Couples Broken Bow NE
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.T. Ayres Gorgeous Group of Women McConnelsville Ohio
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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