Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Alb. J. Stahner Gorgeous Lady Waterbury Conn
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Gounie Man with Mustache In Suit Bath NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Grotecloss Gorgeous Lady In Dress NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s C.W. Van Slyke Couple Mason Michigan
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s A.C. Fowler Gorgeous Lady In Dress Lancaster PA
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Unmarked Handsome Man with Mustache In Suit
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Cooper Gorgeous Young Lady In Dress Ypsilanti MI
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Bliss Bros Cute Child Fancy Outfit Buffalo NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Service Young Boy In Suit Bridgeton NJ
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s E.J. Pollen Gorgeous Lady Fancy Dress Mansfield OH
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s J.H. New Gorgeous Lady In Lace Cohoes NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Dawson Children Cute In Outfits New London WI
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Young Man in Suit with Bowler Hat Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s W.R. Ireland Cute Baby In Gown Holton Kansas
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s O'Dwyer Handsome Man in Suit Brooklyn NY
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Unknown Gorgeous Lady In Dress Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Hoover Husband and Wife Oak Harbor Ohio
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Perkins Gorgeous Lady In Dress Baltimore
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Bearded Man In Suit Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Unknown Gorgeous Lady In Dress Unmarked
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s Anderson Gorgeous Lady In Dress Three Rivers MI
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s J.H. Hoke Handsome Man In Suit Missouri
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s A.R. Newell Young Handsome Man In Suit Rockville
Cabinet Card Circa 1880s G.W. Bryant Husband and Wife Plattsburg MO
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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