dondorf-ft-00b

In 1926 the tobacco company of Carreras published three sets of 36 tobacco insert cards in the UK as "Fortune Telling". All these sets show the familiar images, but are different in shape or size. An explicative booklet about the use of these cards for fortune telling could be obtained at the tobacconist. Click here to see the booklet.

Although it seems a bit strange that these sets were published simultaneously, all serious sellers -mostly British- refer to these sets as being published in 1926. We have found three different sets, in which there's a great similarity in design when compared with the original Dondorf cards.

If they have not been published simultaneously, there's a probable order to be pointed out from the size and design. More about this on page 3.

The difference between the sets is obvious. We'll start with the "square" set as #1. It's not actually square, the cards measure 62 x 78 mm.

Click card 1 to see # 5-12, card 2 for # 13-20, card 3 for # 20-28, card 4 for # 29-36

The second set is oblong. The cards measure 36 x 68 mm. Just like in the first each card shows a playing card.

Click card 1 to see # 5-12, card 2 for # 13-20, card 3 for # 20-28, card 4 for # 29-36

The cards of the third set measure 36 x 68 mm, the same as in the second set. It's probably the youngest one. The designs are exactly the same as in the second set, but the difference is that the playing cards have been changed for courtly figures, without the suit signs. The original designs for the court cards have been maintained and new designs were added to replace the number cards. And this is visible! The style in design of the first three courtly figures here below is apparently different from the figure on cards 4. They are more "flat", there's hardly any shadow in the dresses and faces. And their costumes seem to come from a different era too. You will easily recognize the 12 "originals" in this deck.

Click card 1 to see # 5-12, card 2 for # 13-20, card 3 for # 20-28, card 4 for # 29-36

PS. This variation, with courtly figures only, also exists in the "square" cards.

For a closer comparison between the Dondorf and Carreras decks we've chosen two cards. See the next pages for the results.