Figure 1.--Here we see a damaged large format cabinet card with a school portrait. Remaining mat measures approx 8 x 10 inches. That would mean te card was probably about 9" x 11 inches. It was dated on the back 'about 1892'. As the inscription was probably written only a few years after it was taken it was probably fairly accurate. based on the dresses, it may hve been closer to 1895. Many of the large formt cabinet cards we have found are school portraits or other lsrge group portraits. . This was the Toughkenamon School in Toughkenamon, Pennsylvania. The mount was a color popular in the 19th century for these large format caninet cards. *.

The cabinet card like the CDV in the 19th century was a standard size. The great majority of the 19th century cabinet cards were 4¼ x 6½ inches (108 x 165 mm). The actual photo pasted on to the card was bout 4 x 5 ½ inch. This left about 1 inch at the bottom for the phtographer's information. This was normally the studio name on one side and the city and state on the other side. The street address was often added. A logo might be placed in between. This was the case both in America and Europe. This was in part because many families purchased slotted albumns made for the standard styles. They only accomodated the standard styles. While almost all the 19th century cabinet cards were the classic size, there were a few lathe formt cards. These were a small proportion, but they did exist. We are yet sure abnout the size or to what extent there were standardized sizes for these larger cards. There were different sizes. We note some only slightly larger sizes. There wre cards 4¼ x 7¼ in. The card here was about 11 x 9 in (figure 1). We note some of these large cabinet cards that did not have the studio information on the fromt of the spacee reserved for that information. Some of the large format cards had photographs covereing the entire cards. We need more examples before naking definative assessment as to the differenbt sizes and prevalence. But we can say with a fair degree of certaintky that they were a very small part of the overall photographic record. These large sizes were usually not used for individual portraits. Rather we see them being used for group portraits like school or family groupings. School groups by far seem the most common. Here we are primarily talking about the 19th century. We see larger format cabinet cards after the turn of the 20th century, but this was part of major changes with many changes as part of new style mounts. And we no longer see and standard size as was the case in the 19th century. We also see new colors.

Standard Size

The cabinet card like the CDV in the 19th century was a standard size. The great majority of the 19th century cabinet cards were 4¼ x 6½ inches (108 x 165 mm). The actual photo pasted on to the card was bout 4 x 5½ inch. This left about 1 inch at the bottom for the phtographer's information. This was normally the studio name on one side and the city and state on the other side. The street address was often added. A logo might be placed in between. This was the case both in America and Europe. This was in part because many families purchased slotted albumns made for the standard styles. They only accomodated the standard styles.

Actual Sizes

While almost all the 19th century cabinet cards were the classic size, there were larger format cards. These were a small proportion, but they did exist. Abnd given the huge dimension of the American photographic industry, they are not rare. We are yet entirely sure about the actual sizes, but there do seem to have been standardized sizes for these larger cards. There were different sizes. We note some only slightly larger sizes. There wre cards 4¼ x 7¼ in. The card here was about 11 x 9 in (figure 1). We note that often these large cabinet cards did not have the studio information on the front in the margin area that was so common for the classic suize. This was probably because they were sold in such small numbers. A few did have studio information, but not that many. These larger sizes were most commonly images taken outside the studio, including increasingly popular school portraits like the one here (figure 1). Family gatherings and shots shiwing the family home in the background were also popular.

Chronology

The size and format can help date these old images which is imprtant for HNC's assessments. Most old photograophs are not dated. Some have dated and other information written on the back, but most do not. The dates are an imprtant aspect of assessing fashion trends. But as we hasve found a few dated cards, we can estanlish the chronological ranges of these larger cards. So far e hve fojnd only a few of gthese dated cards. Mos we have found so far are from the 1890s, but some undated cards look to date to the 80s. This is only a preliminary assessment which we hope to refine as HBC expands. This is a little complicated, because not only are we talking sbout the size of the mount, but the margins on the mount varied. Some cards did not have margins, but these are rare. The portrait here about 1892-95 had a wide margin (figure 1). We note another school portrait taken in 1891. Here we are sure about the date becuse giels are holding a slate with the date. While we can use to an dextebt date the images, unlike other canionet cards, these lasrge-foermat cards do not have the studio information that enables us to tell where the photographs were taken.

Borders

The standard 19th century cabinet card had photograohs without borders that only ciovered part of the card --albeit the largest parts of the card. A few of the large format cards had photographs covereing the entire cards. This is something we do not see on standard 19th century cabinet cards. We don't know how common this was. We have found only oine sucg card. After the turn of the 20th century we see a much greater diversity of cabinet cards. Some of these were cards with only small photographs. We are not sure yet if cabinet cards were done covering the enire card with these new-style mounts.

Prevalence

We need more examples before naking definative assessment as to the differenbt sizes and prevalence. But we can say with a fair degree of certaintly that they were a very small part of the overall photographic record.

Usage

These large sizes were usually not used for individual portraits. Rather we see them being used for group portraits like school or family groupings. School groups by far seem the most common.

Mount Styles

Here we are primarily talking about the 19th century. We see sizes like 8x10 11x9. The 8x10 seems to be the most common size. What we are not real sure about yet is the studio information that was usually provided at the bottom of a cabinet cards. We don't see logos which were common in 19th century cards, but we do see some of these large cards with the studio and city information. Here we do not have enough examples to form any overall assessment.We see some of these large cardswith out mat borders. We are not sure hiw common this ws. We also do not see the many colors that were used for 19th century cabinet cards. The color we see here wws common, although we still have relative few examples (figure 1). We see larger format cabinet cards after the turn of the 20th century, but this was part of major changes with many changes as part of new style mounts. And many of these cards hve no studio infirmation. We And we no longer see and standard size as was the case in the 19th century. We also see new colors.

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Created: 9:59 PM 6/15/2018
Last updated: 3:59 AM 11/20/2022