Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1860s G.A. Yant Gorgeous Young Lady In Dress Olathe Kansas
Cabinet Card Circa 1860s J.H. Thurston Family Outdoors Boston Massachusetts
Cabinet Card Circa 1860s C.G. Anderson Young Lady in Dress Kansas City MO
Cabinet Card L. Rice Man with Mustache Railroad Photo Car Nova Scotia Canada
Cabinet Card Circa 1860s G.W. Phares Handsome Man in Suit Kansas City MO
Cabinet Card Circa 1860s William C. Withers Three Ladies In Hats Philadelphia Pa
Cabinet Card Circa 1860s N.C. Lalonde & Son Young Lady in Dress Montreal Canada
Cabinet Card Circa 1860s W.W. Dunlap Young Lady In Lace Dress Nickerson KS
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Family Bearded Man Woman Children Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1860s Elmer Chickering Gorgeous Lady In White Dress Boston MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1860s Rhoads Lady in Fancy Dress Philadelphia PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.T. Conlon Gorgeous Young Lady Prescott Ontario Canada
Cabinet Card 1890s Mr. & Mrs. Ferguson Husband Wife Ghost-Print Oskaloosa Wis.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Hagedorn Lady In Dress Butler MO
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s D.P. Young Bearded Man In Suit Mattoon IL
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s J. Higgins Handsome Man with Mustache Wheeling WV
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s H.C. Steele Man with Mustache Jackson Mich
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Lausch Man with Mustache In Suit Peoria IL
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Easterline Bearded Man In Suit Scranton PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Scholl Gorgeous Lady In Dress Philadelphia
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Saylor Bearded Man In Suit Lancaster PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Stil Bearded Man In Suit Elizabeth NJ
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Randall Handsome Man With Mustache Detroit
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s W.G. Hargaves Old Lady In Dress Owego NY
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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