The cabinet card was a style of photograph which was widely used for photographic portraiture from the 1860’s through the early part of the 20th Century.
It consisted of a thin albumen photographic paper print mounted on a card. They are often confused with Carte de Visité (CDV), a similar but smaller format introduced around 1854 in France. CDV’s were very popular during the American Civil War.
“Cabinet Card” portraits were often presented and exchanged by individuals of position, and social standing. They came to often replace the “calling card” as a currency of social exchange and introduction. They were often kept and displayed in glass “cabinets” to demonstrate acquaintance or connection in some way with the notables pictured in the portraits.