The New York Lenormand - Playing Card Correlations

The New York Lenormand - reconstruction of a rare 19th-century deck

Not every old deck gets a second life. The New York Lenormand by Robert M. Place is a reconstruction of The Mystic Cards of Fortune, a rare set printed in New York in 1882. Few copies survived. Place tracked them down, studied them, and brought them back in a reproduction that stays true to the original.

What stands out is the linework: fine, disciplined, comparable to the early engravings of the Waite-Smith tarot. That is no accident. Place often works from the visual language of that period. The cards are not a copy, but a reconstruction based on the original prints.

What you see on the cards

Each card contains three layers of information. At the bottom is the playing card symbol in vintage style, as found in 19th-century decks. In the centre is the central Lenormand symbol: ship, house, snake, book. At the top you see a small line drawing, inspired by the Waite-Smith tarot. That drawing adds a psychological dimension to the practical Lenormand meaning.

The colours are subdued. No bright shades, but soft sepia, blue, yellow and red. The cardstock is matte and cream-coloured, which prevents glare during readings. The corners are sharp and square, not rounded. That was standard in 1882 and Place kept that choice.

The back is blank. For those who turn cards over during a reading, that is useful. For collectors it gives the feel of a working deck, not a showpiece.

How you work with it

The format is 64 x 89 mm, compact enough for a Grand Tableau without overcrowding the table. The cards sit firmly in the hand and have grip through the matte surface without sticking.

The symbolism is classic Lenormand: 36 cards, traditional meanings. Anyone already working with Lenormand will recognise the structure immediately. The extra line drawings at the top can be included or ignored. They are there, they do not impose themselves.

Lay the cards in daylight or by a warm lamp. The matte finish and soft colours come into their own and give the reading the calm of an antique print.

About Robert M. Place

Robert M. Place is an artist and tarot researcher. He published among others The Alchemical Tarot and The Tarot of the Sevenfold Mystery. His work is characterised by historical accuracy and attention to esoteric symbolism. He digs in archives, studies original prints and brings back forgotten decks without modernising them.

For The New York Lenormand he built on The Mystic Cards of Fortune, an almost lost deck from the early years of the Lenormand tradition in America. The result is not fantasy, but a reconstructed piece of history.

Specifications

• Number of cards: 36
• Card size: 64 x 89 mm
• Finish: Matte, cream-coloured cardstock with square corners
• Card backs: Blank
• Packaging: White linen drawstring pouch
• Language: English (playing card symbols, no written text on the cards)
• Creator: Robert M. Place
• Weight: Approximately 190 grams

Questions we often get

Does this deck come with a guidebook?
No. The deck is delivered in a linen pouch without a booklet. The cards follow standard Lenormand meanings, which you can find in any Lenormand handbook.

Why square instead of rounded corners?
Place chose to stay true to the production methods of 1882. Square corners were the norm then. It reinforces the historical character of the deck.