Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Cabinet Card Circa 1890s C. E. Rose Two Women Puffed Sleeve Dresses Denver Co
Antique Boudoir Cabinet Card 1890s Sleeping Dog Duke On House Porch
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Chas A Girt Woman Sewing Machine Hill City Kans
Antique Cabinet Card 1880s President Gen Grant's Funeral Procession Broadway NY
Cabinet Card President General U.S. Grants Tomb Riverside Park New York
Antique Cabinet Card 1900s A.W. & G.E. Howes Fred A King House Ashfield Mass
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Camp Jut-Marie Boys Tent Lake George NY Camping
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Toddler Girl White Dress Dog Bench Foliage
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Cowan Actors Theatrical Costumes New Kensington PA
Antique Cabinet Card Cute Boy Riding Pony Horse
Antique Cabinet Card Gilbert & Bacon Occupational Broom Maker Philadelphia PA
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Group Campers Camp Jut-Marie Tent
Antique Cabinet Card Large Group Camping Camp Jut-Marie Tent Lake George NY 1896
Antique Cabinet Card Mccurdy Toddler Child Holding Small Dog Grove City PA
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Franz Hanfstaengl Psyche Am Wasserspiegel Fairy NY
Antique Cabinet Card Bridge Swan Boats Boston Public Garden
Antique Cabinet Card 1870s President Gen U.S. Grant & Family Mount Mcgregor NY
Antique Cabinet Card 1880s Busing House Hotel Carriage Weston MA
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Boy With Two Dogs Sitting On Barrels
Antique Cabinet Card 1900s Angela May Woman Lace Dress Flowers Signed
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Perkinson Nurse Maid Uniform New York Newark
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Two Women Outside White House With Picket Fence
Antique Cabinet Card 1890s Hunter With Rifle And Hunting Dogs
Cabinet Card Log Drive Jam On River With Bridge & Group Picnic Luzerne New York
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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