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The cabinet card gained popularity in the mid-1860s, following the end of the Civil War. Similar to a carte de visite, which was 2½ by 4 inches and mounted on card stock, a cabinet card typically measured 4 by 6 inches, and was easy to see from across a room. Cabinet cards were commonly displayed on a side table or in a cabinet. They were used mainly for portraiture, and became popular for personal portraits as well as mass produced portraits of notable people. Cabinet cards of famous actors, actresses and entertainers were sold and collected in much the same way that posters are today. Many cabinet cards prominently featured the name of the photographer and other advertising information, usually on the back of the card. Cabinet cards reached the peak of popularity in the 1870s and 1880s, although they continued to be made into the early 1900s. Cabinet cards fell out of favor in part due to the public's desire for candid photographs that could be put in a scrapbook or enlarged and framed. The introduction of the Kodak Brownie camera, which entered the market in February, 1900, and sold for $1, also aided in the decline of the cabinet card.

American theaters remained greatly influenced by London theater into the 20th century, with the plays of Shakespeare remaining quite popular and the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan gaining recognition. Actors such as Mary Anderson, W.H. Kendal and Weedon Grossmith rose to fame in the late 18th century in large part because of their roles in Gilbert and Sullivan plays. American playwrights also gained influence during this period of time. Playwrights such as Tom Taylor, who wrote Our American Cousin , and Henry Dixey, who wrote and starred in Adonis in the late 19th century, attracted large crowds.

Actors continued to gain fame independently. Edwin Booth, who was one of the most respected Shakespearean actors of his time, and Helena Modjeska, a well-respected Shakespearean and dramatic actress, were not associated with any single theater company. However, American theater companies also rose to prominence. Many actors became well known because of their association with a specific theater company, such as those in New York run by Laura Keene or Augustin Daly. These companies, aside from providing support, also allowed actors to tour the United States and Europe, thus aiding in the rise to fame.