Taking care of vintage decks

Teheuti

Aster Breo said:
Teheuti (or anyone else who knows), do you know of anything that compares the various Lenormand-related decks to show the similarities and differences in their symbols, the meanings, and the playing card insets?

I'm thinking of a table of some kind that lists each deck by card and meaning -- so it would be easy to see which decks include a Cat card, for example, what the Cat means in each deck, and which playing card it's associated with.

A table like this might also be able to show how some symbols evolved over time -- like the Sickness card in one deck might take the place of the Coffin card in another; or the Train card might take the place of the Ship, etc.
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I started one of these but it quickly got out of hand as I included Kipper Cards and some of the other popular European decks. There was so much information and subtle variations that it became unhandable. One problem is that sometimes the same idea appears with a different image - are boat - train - and coach truly "cognates" or should they be listed separately? Sometimes Lion & Bear are alternates representing a "ferocious beast" and other times both figures appear in the same deck. Does one include & try to compare the number sequence and the playing card assignments, too?

I have a fairly comprehensive list but it's a mess to deal with.
 

Aster Breo

Teheuti said:
I started one of these but it quickly got out of hand as I included Kipper Cards and some of the other popular European decks. There was so much information and subtle variations that it became unhandable. One problem is that sometimes the same idea appears with a different image - are boat - train - and coach truly "cognates" or should they be listed separately? Sometimes Lion & Bear are alternates representing a "ferocious beast" and other times both figures appear in the same deck. Does one include & try to compare the number sequence and the playing card assignments, too?

I have a fairly comprehensive list but it's a mess to deal with.
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Yeah, I can see how it would be unwieldy. Maybe the info could be broken down into more manageable chunks -- like comparing the symbols in one table and the playing card associations in another. And I can certainly see how including the Kippers and Sibillas would complicate it -- again, maybe narrowing or dividing the scope would help. Also, maybe focusing on specific geographic areas separately.

I don't have a large enough collection (yet) to be able to even start to put something like this together. But maybe eventually...

Would you be willing to share your list, either publicly or privately? (I totally understand if you'd rather not.)

I also suspect there aren't that many people interested in this very specialized subject. I'm new to it, but I can tell it's going to be one of those long-term fascinations (obsessions?) for me. I don't get bitten by this sort of bug often, but, when I do, it always infects me permanently. ;-)
 

Teheuti

Aster Breo said:
Would you be willing to share your list, either publicly or privately? (I totally understand if you'd rather not.)
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Not at this time.

I haven't been able to work on recently. It's a mess. I don't have time right now to update it to the stuff you'd want, and clarify my shorthand to make it understandable. That's the simple explanation - I've deleted a long, long list of "to-dos".
 

Aster Breo

Teheuti said:
Not at this time.

I haven't been able to work on recently. It's a mess. I don't have time right now to update it to the stuff you'd want, and clarify my shorthand to make it understandable. That's the simple explanation - I've deleted a long, long list of "to-dos".
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No worries. I understand.

I'm working on my own list, but mine is just a starter list of decks that I'd like to compile info on. That table of symbols etc is a ways off. ;-)

The biggest problem I'm finding is simply figuring out what decks exist/ed, and which are just reprints of other decks. I think I'm going to try to stick with the American decks, to start, because I know I have to limit the scope somehow, and I figured I'd start with my own neck of the woods. That might not end up working, though, since the origins are in Europe.

I really wish there was a Lenormand & fortune telling cards history book already out there!! ;-)
 

Teheuti

Aster Breo said:
I really wish there was a Lenormand & fortune telling cards history book already out there!! ;-)
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Caitlín Matthews book is the closest thing out there.
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Lenormand-Oracle-Handbook-Language/dp/1620553252/

There was also a German book done in 1972 that attempted to photograph and catalog all the known decks. While a valliant effort and a great resource, they fell far short.
http://www.zvab.com/buch-suchen/titel/wahrsagekarten--ein-beitrag/autor/hoffmann

The Lenormand museum and Stregato sites, display quite a few decks.
http://www.lenormand-museum.com/lenormand-cards.php
http://www.stregato.de/blog/2013/06/uralte-antike-lenormandkarten-sammlung/

Helen Riding's website has some great historical material on piquet and skat deck fortune telling as well as Lenormand:
http://lenormanddictionary.blogspot.com/

Decker and Dummet's book, A Wicked Pack of Cards on the modern Tarot touches on the Lenormand deck.
http://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Pack-Cards-Origins-Occult/dp/0715627139/
 

Aster Breo

Thanks!

I just ordered A Wicked Pack of Cards a few days ago. I saw it referenced somewhere -- the Katz book, I think.

I didn't know about the German book. That's a great lead.

Thank you!
 

Madame Squee

Thank you, Aster Breo! This is a very interesting thread, full of great information! I have a few off-beat vintage decks myself and really appreciate the opportunity to learn more about them. (Your Gypsy Fortune Telling Cards are wonderful! I don't have those.)

This is how I take care of my vintage decks: I wrap them in waxed paper, forming a secure packet around the deck. If the cards came in a box, I usually take them out of the box and wrap the deck of cards and the box separately -- also stuffing the box with crumpled strips of waxed paper. I refresh the paper every once in awhile.

I've been doing this with my old decks for the past 15 years, and the waxed paper actually seems to extract odors, moisture and griminess -- especially if I renew the paper every other month or so. I simply couldn't do without waxed paper! One thing, though -- I keep a box of waxed paper in the kitchen, and I keep another box of waxed paper in the tarot room, and never the twain shall meet! :bugeyed:

I also keep sachets of lavenders flowers in the drawers and cupboards where I store decks. I sew little organza pillows and stuff them with lavender flowers, purchased in bulk (culinary grade).

PS: I also wrap new decks in waxed paper. However, if they arrived in a papery box, I don't remove the cards, I just wrap the box. When new cards arrive in a plastic box or tin, I wrap a strip of waxed paper around the deck and replace it in its plastic box or tin. The strip of waxed paper helps me lift the cards out and replace them easily. Plus, I can count on the waxed paper to help keep the cards fresh. (I always wash my hands before I handle cards, but I don't wear gloves. :D)
 
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