Antique Cabinet Photos
Cabinet photos were a popular form of photographic portraiture that emerged in the mid-19th century, around the 1860s. They were so named because they were typically displayed in cabinets or on bookshelves, rather than being mounted in albums or frames like earlier forms of photography.
Cabinet photos were produced using a variety of camera types, including early large-format cameras, as well as smaller, more portable cameras like the Kodak Brownie. These cameras used a variety of photographic processes, including daguerreotypes, tintypes, and albumen prints.
The popularity of cabinet photos grew rapidly, and they became a ubiquitous feature of Victorian-era homes and parlors. They were often traded and collected, and many people had collections of cabinet photos of family members, friends, and famous figures.
Cabinet photos continued to be popular throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but their popularity began to wane as new photographic technologies and formats emerged, including the advent of smaller, more portable cameras and the rise of motion pictures. By the early 20th century, cabinet photos had largely fallen out of favor, and they were no longer being produced on a large scale.
Today, cabinet photos are highly sought after by collectors and historians, and they provide a fascinating glimpse into the social and cultural history of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The following antique cabinet photos are free to download for personal and commercial use.
