Every so often, a piece of cartomancy history surfaces that feels almost too strange and charming to be true. The 1926 Carreras Tobacco Co. Lenormand is one of those treasures — a deck born not from an esoteric publisher or a Parisian print shop, but from cigarette packets in the United Kingdom.
In the mid‑1920s, Carreras was already well known for its Black Cat cigarettes. Like many tobacco companies of the era, they inserted collectible cards into their packs to stiffen the packaging and encourage brand loyalty. Sports heroes, animals, flags, film stars — these were common themes. But in 1926, Carreras did something wonderfully unexpected: they released a full 36‑card Lenormand deck as a collectible series.
Each cigarette pack contained a single “Fortune Telling Card,” inviting customers to collect the entire set one smoke at a time. The artwork wasn’t random or cheaply produced. Carreras commissioned the legendary German printing house B. Dondorf, whose chromolithographed Lenormand designs from the late 19th century had already become iconic. The result was a crisp, colourful, distinctly Dondorf‑style deck — but with a twist.
Carreras issued several variations:
• Wide and narrow formats to fit different cigarette pack sizes
• Versions with miniature playing‑card inserts
• Versions with small figure‑head portraits
These weren’t marketed as a divination tool so much as a novelty — a collectible curiosity tucked into everyday life. Yet that’s exactly what makes them so fascinating today. They sit at the intersection of advertising, print history, and cartomancy, capturing a moment when fortune‑telling imagery slipped into the pockets of ordinary people buying their daily smokes.
Nearly a century later, original Carreras Lenormand cards are highly sought after by collectors. Their quirky origin story, their Dondorf lineage, and their unmistakable vintage charm have made them a beloved part of Lenormand history. Modern reproductions keep the artwork alive for readers and creators who want to experience this unusual chapter of cartomancy’s past.
If you’d like to explore a restored, print‑ready version of the deck — with either a blue (as shown above), cream or borderless design — you can purchase the deck here. Or if you are a crafter or artisan you can purchase my digital download edition here.
It’s a small but delightful piece of history, for collectors, Lenormand lovers and readers alike.
