Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Baby Infant White Christening Gown Fur Rug
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1870s Wm Phipps Young Man Bowler Hat Suit WA DC
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W. L. Kelley Young Girl Lace Harwichport Mass
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Stevens Woman Victorian Beaded Dress Chicago IL
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Youndt Mature Woman High Lace Belvidere Ills
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Rockstead Woman Waved Hair Floral Rockford ILL
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E Brown Woman High Collar Brooch Sterling ILL
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Clark Woman Lace Collar Portrait Streator IL
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s W.F. Kerr Baby Long Christening Gown Tipton in
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s J D Merritt Young Child Girl Bangs WA DC
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Woman Curly Fringe Hairstyle High Collar Dress
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Henry Brown Victorian Woman Dark Bodice
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Farley Studio Elderly Woman Lace Collar
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Roe Woman Puff Sleeves Strawberry Point IA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Kirk Woman Puffy Sleeves Cross Mason City IA
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Baby in Long White Christening Lace Chicago IL
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Young Boy Wicker Chair Boater Straw Hat Studio
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Handsome Young Couple Victorian Lace Collar
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Trader Young Victorian Couple Studio Portrait
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Trader Married Couple Holding Hands Victorian
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Baby Infant Long White Christening Gown
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Victorian Woman Bustle Dress Leaning Table
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s Seated Victorian Woman Leg O Mutton Sleeve
Antique Cabinet Card Circa 1890s E M White Handsome Young Man Keene Keene N.H.
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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