Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Anderson Handsome Man with Mustache Haverhill MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Man with Mustache In Suit and Coat Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Reger Handsome Man In Suit Altoona PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Holden Handsome Man In Suit Camp Point IL
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s S. Trunk Lady In Dress Reading Pennsylvania
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Lee Carpenter Old Lady In Dress Groton NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Handsome Man In Suit Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Trevaskis Handsome Man with Mustache Hazleton PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Spurgin Handsome Man with Mustache Rockland ME
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s F.H. Foss Handsome Man With Mustache Dover NH
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s H.T. Martin Cute Girl Topeka Kansas
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s H. Caller Handsome Man with Mustache Lancaster PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Cammack Lady In Dress Oskaloosa Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Peterson Man with Mustache Livermore Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s LeRoy J. Terrill Bearded Man In Suit Youngstown Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Krauss Handsome Man with Mustache Unknown
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Kuhn Gorgeous Lady In Dress Stillwater MN
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s G. Wallace Wright Handsome Man Putnam CT
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Anderson Handsome Man with Mustache Minneapolis MN
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.O. Kelsey Cute Children in Suits Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.G. Kimball Handsome Man with Mustache Concord NH
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s G.E. Ellis Handsome Man with Mustache Pittsfield MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Chipman Handsome Man in Suit New Milford CT
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A. Applegate Handsome Man With Mustache Philly
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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