Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Shanafelt Husband and Wife Portland Oregon
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lewis Gorgeous Lady In Dress New Britain Conn
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Riley & Sherraden Young Boy and Girl Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bullard Young Lady In Dress Peterboro NH
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J.M. Stromsten Romantic Couple Corydon Iowa
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lewis Gorgeous Lady In Dress New Britain Conn
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Bullard Young Girl In Dress Peterborough NH
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s R.L. Fowler Handsome Man in Suit Philadelphia
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s P.W. Tennant Cute Child Haverhill MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s P.R. Call Young Handsome Man In Suit NH
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s R. Hastings Handsome Man In Suit Boston MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s H.G. Mackey Husband and Wife Medford Oregon
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Fowler Husband Wife Child Philadelphia
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s A. Newman Man with Mustache Phila
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Unknown Husband and Wife Brechin
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Hughes & Alvord Husband and Wife Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Fuller Young Lady In Dress Haverhill Mass
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Shadle & Busser Gorgeous Lady York PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Howard Husband and Wife In Suit PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C.C. Copeland Lady In Dress Monroe Wisconsin
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Lempke Gorgeous Lady Fancy Dress Haverhill MA
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.T. Dollison Lady In Dress Cambridge Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Cal Keck Gorgeous Lady In Dress Youngstown OH
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Polley Old Lady In Elegant Gown Mansfield OH
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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