Thomson-Leng Tarot

Published July 03, 1996 Updated March 24, 2023

The Thomson-Leng Tarot Cards were issued by the publishers of women's magazines during the 1930s. The cards are loosely based upon the Rider-Waite tarot.

1935 United Kingdom Alf Cooke / Universal Thomson-Leng Tarot
Thomson-Leng Publications Tarot booklet, 1935

Thomson-Leng Publications Tarot, 1935

The THOMSON-LENG Tarot Cards (and the Romany Fortune Telling Cards) were issued by the publishers of women's magazines during the 1930s. The cards are loosely based upon the Rider-Waite tarot, but also on other sources, and are becoming unusual to find. The name of the designer / illustrator is not known. Some of the designs reappear in Maritxu Guler's “Tarot Esoterico” published by Fournier, Spain.

Thomson-Leng Publications Tarot printed by Universal Playing Card Co Ltd, 1935

Above: Thomson-Leng Tarot cards manufactured by the Universal Playing Card Co. Ltd, Leeds, England c.1935 for Thomson-Leng Publications, Dundee & London. 78 cards + extra card + instruction booklet.

Thomson-Leng Publications Tarot, 1935
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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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