Petit Lenormand history

KariRoad

Documenting earliest 'suggested' Interpretations, etc.

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NOTE: the cards were first printed in the 1840s in what is now Germany.
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Cerulean

The last two set of instructons in English form from two different decks and onlin

Thank you for uploading these instructions and making excellent readable copies. You helped me confirm in #2. below that the instructions in a novelty set that I had do copy from an older LeNormand deck.

My similar sets will be detailed below and then I will link to my 1870 set thread so others can compare.

1. Dondorf 1920 with English instructions
One set of meanings very similar from the English version of the Dondorf design distributed from turn of the twentieth century with the gilded backs in the Dondorf thread and USPC site, I will link soon. Circa 1890? Only it was attributed to a different sybil, which puzzled me if this was made up.

a.Deck:

http://www.wopc.co.uk/uk/cartes-lenormand.html

b. instructions:

http://www.dxpo-playingcards.com/xpo/variations/pages/dondorf-ft-06a.htm

c. Related forum links:

http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=170592


2. I also found a circa 1990ish/2000 brown and white novelty reproduction set with the last set of instructions. The set publishes it with the claim these instructions are from Madame LeNormand. The instructions really like the examples posted by KariRoad--I'll check and confirm if they are like version 1 or 2 she posted above.


a. I did check--the B. Shackman "Madame Le Normand's Mystic Cards of Fortune" did reproduce the circa 1850 (according to the history noted by an author in another LeNormand forum--not linked as according to this forum rules) Le Phillipe instructions posted above.

Because I have a few other sets--not named LeNormand, but "Fortune Cards" with 'early cartomancy' instructions, I am not really certain where this information is coming from. That could be speculative.

3. But as the 'history of the Petiti LeNormand deck' does include the box, instructions and different versions--whether the deck came withttp://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=176083&highlight=1870+lenormandh playing cards or rhymes. My examples of the sets with rhymes from supposedly the '19th century' and circa 1930, 1950, 1960ish and 2000's are said to be traditional, but they might be also just a variation

a. 1890 variation with rhymes--


http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=157860&highlight=french+lenormand+rhymes

At the end of the thread above I will post pictures of the 19th century one with rhymes vs the 1920 described in #1.

4. German 1870 LeNormand -- note this has the earlier 32 cards, which seemed popular in some cartomancy sets, but I cannot pinpoint the dates of all variations of 32 and 36 card sets.


a. Sorry, but had to spread the jpg copies of booklet with 32 meanings over three or four posts to this thread:

http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=176083&highlight=1870+lenormand

Anyway, those few links should help those looking for a sampling of the very merry and myriad forms of instructions/boxes/decks of Le Petit LeNormand in the Lenormand forum...French (Belgium and France), German, and English variations abound! (My use of LeNormand or Le Normand may depend on the deck or book that I am looking at and seeing how they are titled)

By the way, Teheuti, Lee, Le Fanu among others have also posted historic variations or their recent purchase/discovery reproductions of historic Le Petit Etteilla variations as they have discovered themin the LeNormand forum. That has been enormous help to me, as I have only a few small historical variations
 

KariRoad

It's weird, but READ at least the first and last paragraphs of the Instructions... there are subtle changes/differences. Le Normand petit jeu did not pre-exist, it was created in Germany in the 1840s by French entrepreneurs suppressed by Rome. Fill in the blanks!

I'm getting a vibe like, which came first, 36 tea leaf possibilities or 36 images... either way we have an extremely limited palette ~ almost comically restrained. Add the well known playing card images of le petit jeu and you have a product.

:)
 

Cerulean

Hello KariRoad, are there card samples with your 1840 instructions?

I would enjoy knowing what the cards you have look like with your instructions.

That helps me, as I have so many different variations--one reproduction of an Italian sibilla dated in the 1840's that was in the Le Tarot exhibition. I will start a thread because the reproduction among other 19th century actual and reproduced cards are fascinating to compare.

I will start an 1840ish to beyond comparison thread where we can post/reference LePetit and related cartomany samples, hope to see cards there. I will post 6 samples , two repro, 4 actual antique/vintage.

Cerulean

It's weird, but READ at least the first and last paragraphs of the Instructions... there are subtle changes/differences. Le Normand petit jeu did not pre-0's in anxist, it was created in Germany in the 1840s by French entrepreneurs suppressed by Rome. Fill in the blanks!

I'm getting a vibe like, which you have came first, 36 tea leaf possibilities or 36 images... either way we have an extremely limited palette ~ almost comically restrained. Add the well known playing card images of le petit jeu and you have a product.

:)
 

KariRoad

pre-0's in anxist

"pre-0's in anxist"

Am I really reading that? ~ anyway, I have a very old doubler tray,
and an older still slip box. The slip box had the German instructions
and a two-toned (black and red) ink printing. It's all very intriguing.
 

IheartTarot

I would enjoy knowing what the cards you have look like with your instructions.

The language of the English instructions suggests that the cards were not published in continental Europe.

These instructions were posted in a thread in another forum (which I cannot link to due to forum rules). The last set of instructions posted belongs to Madame Le Normand's Mystic Cards of Fortune published by B Shackman and printed in China (still in print) and the second set posted belongs to an earlier version of the deck published by McLoughlin Bros. of New York. The last copy is from Shackman (with the Shackman copyright removed from the bottom of the copy), the previous one from McLoughlin Bros. The English page of the first set posted is very close to the second set. The deck images are modelled on the same prototype as the prototype for the Mertz Lenormand that is currently in print (prototype dated c1840 according to Mertz).
 

IheartTarot

Portrait of Johann Kaspar Hechtel

I have acquired an engraved portrait of Johann Kaspar Hechtel (1771-1799), the author of Das Spiel der Hoffnung (the prototype for the Petit Lenormand cartomancy deck), from Germany. I have posted a digital image of the portrait on my blog today. :cool:
 

IheartTarot

Early LWB c1846

The Wahrsagen a la Lenormand deck by Alexander Glück currently in print is at least the third edition of the original deck. It is accompanied by explanation leaflets in German and French. It is a reproduction of a deck published by Verlag für die Frau in 1982 (see images here), which was copied in turn from an older deck in the collection of antiquarian Erwin Kohlmann that was dated c1850.

The German instructions that accompany the Glück deck (which appear to be the same as those accompanying the previous edition from online images I have seen of both versions) are identical to the extract shown with the 1846 Lenormand deck shown in the Lenormand Museum here.
 

Cerulean

Thank you, IHeartTarot

The Gluck and another reproduction are on their way to me.

LeTarot's exhibiit catalog has cartomamcy titles and a few card samples. Their circa 1846 Italian sibilla has some LePetit Lenormand and Cartomancien sinilarities, which should be in a separate thread. I think the LePetit LeNormand discussion here is too valuable to interrupt, so will link back here..should I enjoy further discovery.

Cerulean

The Wahrsagen a la Lenormand deck by Alexander Glück currently in print is at least the third edition of the original deck. It is accompanied by explanation leaflets in German and French. It is a reproduction of a deck published by Verlag für die Frau in 1982 (see images here), which was copied in turn from an older deck in the collection of antiquarian Erwin Kohlmann that was dated c1850.

The German instructions that accompany the Glück deck (which appear to be the same as those accompanying the previous edition from online images I have seen of both versions) are identical to the extract shown with the 1846 Lenormand deck shown in the Lenormand Museum here.
 

IheartTarot

1846 deck

The German instructions that accompany the Glück deck (which appear to be the same as those accompanying the previous edition from online images I have seen of both versions) are identical to the extract shown with the 1846 Lenormand deck shown in the Lenormand Museum here.

I have found some more images of the 1846 deck (possibly the first one named after Lenormand) in a German blog article here and a publication listing in Google Books here (p486):

"Wahrsagerin, die, Mlle. Lenormand. Erklärung des Kartenspiels d. berühmten Wahrsagerin Mlle. Lenormand in Paris. Herausgegeben v. deren Erben Chator. 32. (36 illumin. Karten u. Text) Coblenz 846, Reiff. In Etui."
Neues Bücher Lexicon (Weigel, 1848)*

*(includes publications 1841-1846)

There is a slightly longer version of this listing from an 1846 book catalogue quoted in the abovementioned blog post from the original listing here (p287):

"Wahrsagerin, die, Mlle Lenormand. Erklärung des Kartenspiels der berühmten Wahrsagerin Mlle Lenormand in Paris. Herausgegeben von deren Erben Chator. 32. (36 illuminierte Karten und 24 Seiten Text) Coblenz, Reiff. In Etui."