Carreras Fortune Telling Cards
Carreras Fortune Telling Cards.
Printed by B. Dondorf in Germany.
The Carreras Fortune Telling Cards were published in 1926 for W.D. & H.O. Wills, Bristol, and issued by Carreras Ltd in various sizes (wide and narrow size) and formats (playing-card inserts or figures). The cards were printed by chromo-lithography by B. Dondorf in Germany, based on the “Dondorf Lenormand” fortune-telling cards made in the 1880s. A single card was enclosed inside every packet of “Black Cat” cigarettes. “Black Cat” was launched in 1904 and became the first cigarette in the United Kingdom to contain coupons which were redeemable for gifts. These coupons evolved into the collectible cards which became a huge marketing success. See also: Wikipedia article • Cartes Lenormand by H.P. Gibson • Mlle Lenormand Fortune Telling cards by Vereinigte Stralsunder Spielkartenfabriken.
Above: Carreras wide-sized Fortune Telling Cards with miniature playing card inserts, 1926. A single card was enclosed inside every packet of “Black Cat” cigarettes and in this case two missing cards have been made from repeated cards to complete the set.
Above: Carreras wide-sized Fortune Telling Cards with figure-head inserts, 1926. The fortune-telling images are exactly the same as in the example above, but in this case the miniature playing-card inserts have been substituted by figures. As far as we know the interpretations in the accompanying booklet remained the same for both versions, i.e. with figure inserts or playing card inserts.
Above: Carreras narrow-sized Fortune Telling Cards with figure-head inserts, 1926
Above: Carreras Fortune Telling Cards leaflet, 1926 more →
Carreras also issued Domino Cards, Alice in Wonderland cards and miniature playing cards. See also: Fortune Telling & Cartomancy :: Cartes Lenormand by H.P. Gibson.
By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
I am the founder of The World of Playing Cards (est. 1996), a website dedicated to the history, artistry and cultural significance of playing cards and tarot. Over the years I have researched various areas of the subject, acquired and traded collections and contributed as a committee member of the IPCS and graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal. Having lived in Chile, England, Wales, and now Spain, these experiences have shaped my work and passion for playing cards. Amongst my achievements is producing a limited-edition replica of a 17th-century English pack using woodblocks and stencils—a labour of love. Today, the World of Playing Cards is a global collaborative project, with my son Adam serving as the technical driving force behind its development. His innovative efforts have helped shape the site into the thriving hub it is today. You are warmly invited to become a contributor and share your enthusiasm.
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