Fortune Telling Postcards by Fred C. Lounsbury

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Fred. C. Lounsbury founded the Crescent Embossing Co. in 1896. The company's printing and embossing plant was located in Plainfield, New Jersey, and by 1910 he had offices in New York City and Philadelphia, as well as a sales representative based in Boston. Best known for his patriotic and holiday-themed chromolithographic cards, advertising folders, and calendars, Lounsbury also released several sets of fortune telling postcards in 1907 and 1908.

Each "Good Fortunes" set consists of eight gold-embossed chromolitho postcards depicting lucky symbolism associated with a different type of fortune telling:

  • Tea leaf reading
  • Domino reading
  • Dice reading
  • Cartomancy with playing cards
  • Palm reading

Although the cards are signed and copyrighted in the name of Fred. C. Lounsbury, it is known that he was not an artist, but employed a team of artists to produce designs for his company. The same artist -- name unknown -- drew all of the "Good Fortunes" cards.

The tea leaf postcards issued by Lounsbury were intended to be sent as greetings, but they can also be used by fledgling tasseomancers as study cups on the way to learning a basic list of tea leaf symbols.

According to this 1907 Fred Lounsbury postcard, when tea leaves form an image of an Anchor, it is an omen of success in business
According to this 1907 Fred Lounsbury postcard, when tea leaves form an image of a Tree, it is an omen of good health
According to this 1907 Fred Lounsbury postcard, when tea leaves form an image of a Star, it is an omen of a long and happy life
According to this 1907 Fred Lounsbury postcard, when tea leaves form an image of a Square, it is an omen of peace and happiness
According to this circa 1905 Fred Lounsbury postcard, when tea leaves form sn image of the Sun, it is an omen of good luck and happiness


catherine yronwode
curator, historian, and docent
The Mystic Tea Room

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