Cabinet Photo - What is it?

[Shoeless Moe]

Cabinet photos seem to sell for more but what is one exactly? I hear the term, but don't know what determines a cabinet photo to just a photo. Help

[bcbgcbrcb]

Basically, a cabinet photo is a photo that is mounted onto a cardboard backing, with or without photography studio info on it.

[vintagesportflips]

I think the term cabinet photo (or cabinet card more specifically) is supposed to refer a 19th century photograph mounted to a cardboard mount measuring 4¼ by 6½ inches.
With that said, a looser definition is any turn of the century photograph mounted to cardboard of any size.

[scgaynor]

Technically cabinet cards and CDV's are of a specific size, however a cabinet photo is basically any photo mounted to cardboard. They typically date from the 1860's-1930's

Scott

[drc]

Cabinet cards are 1800s-early 1900s photos with the photographic print pasted to a larger sheet of cardboard and measure a little over 6x4 inches. They usually have the photography studio name on the front and/or back, and the cardboard can come in different colors and desigs. They were given this name as they were popularly displayed in cabinets. Cardboard backed photos like this come in bigger and smaller sizes, but only the 6x4 size is technically a cabinet card.

[Exhibitman]

The 19th century and early 20th century photos on backings are all are mounted photos but the most popular designations are:

Carte-de-visite 4 1/4" x 2 1/2"
Cabinet card 6 1/2" x 4 1/2"
Victoria 5" x 3 1/4"
Promenade 7" x 4"
Boudoir 8 1/2" x 5 1/4"
Imperial 9 7/8" x 6 7/8"
Panel 8 1/4" x 4"
Stereograph 3" x 7" [2 images side by side]

[drc]

The general name for these photos is mounted photographs or card photographs. As long as you give the dimensions at sale, you don't have to worry about the specific names. Few people in the world have them memorized.

As long as you list the dimension, you don't have to worry too much about using the wrong name. If you say a 12" x 10" cabinet card, people will know what you are talking about, even though it's technically not a cabinet card.

You can also say cabinet card-style for different sizes.

It just happens that the cabinet card was one of the most popular and plentiful sizes, which is why you hear cabinet card so often and to the point that some people assume it's the name for all mounted photographs, and why it's used generically.

But, as I said, if you give the correct size in inches, that will usually make up using the incorrect name or if you aren't sure what name to use. Listing the size covers your butt.

Technically speaking, the T3 cabinets aren't cabinet cards, in part because they're too big. But the T5 Pinkerton cabinet cards and N173 Old Judges cabinet cards are genuine cabinet cards.