Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Antique Cabinet Card Barentzen Woman High Collar Embroidered Dress Malden MA
Antique Cabinet Card D French Handsome Man Bow Tie Suit Portrait Meriden Conn
Antique Cabinet Card French Young Child Lace Collar Pleated Dress Meriden Conn
Antique Cabinet Card Popkins Victorian Woman Brooch Dark Dress Greenfield Mass
Antique Cabinet Card DE Youngs Handsome Young Man Suit Tie New York NY NY NY
Antique Cabinet Card Williams Four Men Young Girl Family Portrait Wabash Ind
Antique Cabinet Card Handsome Young Boy Plaid Check Wool Suit Bow Tie Oval
Antique Cabinet Card Oval Portrait Baby Child White Lace Dress Wicker Chair
Antique Cabinet Card Osterhout Young Woman Victorian Puffed Blouse Middletown NY
Antique Cabinet Card Edwards Mary Keil High Neck Dress Pittsburgh PA Portrait
Antique Cabinet Card Trevaskis Young Man Polka Dot Cravat Hazleton PA
Antique Cabinet Card Handsome Young Man Suit Tie Oval Border Dark Mount Portrait
Antique Cabinet Card Gordon Baby Child White Gown Portrait Pocomoke City MD
Antique Cabinet Card Entrekin CO Portrait Woman Updo Plaid Philadelphia PA
Antique Cabinet Card Trask Victorian Woman High Ruffle Collar Philadelphia PA
Antique Cabinet Card J.S. Fritz Young Woman Striped Vest Portrait Reading PA
Antique Cabinet Card Hc Voorhees Handsome Young Man Suit Tie Meriden Conn
Antique Cabinet Card Boston Photo Art Studio Lena M Conning Portrait Bristol RI
Antique Cabinet Card Masterson Woman Brooch Floral Bodice Port Jervis NY
Antique Cabinet Card Morton Artist Woman Short Curly Bangs Providence RI
Antique Cabinet Card Lovell Baby Roy Dumond Huxley Long Gown Northampton Mass
Antique Cabinet Card Aylsworth Studio Young Brothers in Double Apponaug RI
Antique Cabinet Card E W Mathews Woman Velvet High Collar Brooch Piqua Piqua OH
Antique Cabinet Card J.E. Crofoot Rosella Uhl Sikes Kendallville IND
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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