Customer Reviews

Pamela Colman Smith Commemorative Set

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

To celebrate the centennial of this most important deck, Stuart Kaplan has opened the vaults to create a stunning presentation of a beloved favourite. The set is magnificently packaged in a box that would look well on the library bookshelf, and contained within are many delights. When one opens the treasure chest, one finds several postcards of Pixie's art (and one of her), a shiny new (non-pictorial) copy of Pictorial Key to the Tarot by A.E. Waite, and a splendid book by Kaplan containing a wealth of information about Pamela Colman (Pixie) Smith. In a small but mighty tome, her life, her times and her art are lovingly presented with lots of glorious reproductions that help put the "big job for little money" in perspective. But the jewel in the crown is the reproduction of the 1909 Waite-Smith deck. It is splendid (several have pointed out that the colours are a tad muddy, but I think it conveys a sense of age).

Having seen (and fondled) an original 1909 RWS deck, I have always said that if everyone could see the myriad exquisite details in each card, one would come away with an even deeper appreciation for what Pixie did. She created a magical - and often theatrical - landscape for the archetypes and designs to play. Even if you've spent hours studying and contemplating the images, be prepared to invest a lot more time. There are wonders and delights in profusion to be seen in this glorious revival of the deck.

Thanks to Stuart Kaplan and thanks to US Games for giving the world a birthday present for the RWS birthday!

The Pamela Colman Smith Centennial deck arrived today and I have to tell you it was the best $20 I ever spent on Amazon...well almost. The production values of the set are outstanding. The boxed set is very hefty and is stunningly packaged. The box opens with a gatefold and each side has its own cover hiding the treasures beneath. Before we get to deck lets go over the Books-postcards-prints side. Here we get 6 postcards of PCS, a glossy leaflet featuring three spreads ( 5 card love, Woven, and 3 card relationship) , 3 larger prints of her work as well as to books A.E. Waite's Pictorial Key that clocks in at 239 pages and the 101page Artwork and Times of PCS by Stewart Kaplan. Both are printed on exquisite heavy weight paper and the PCS book has copious images of her works outside of the deck. The downside to these books is the bindings, if not handled carefully, could be prone to breakage. The covers are very heavy card stock that too needs to be handled with care or it will crease with relative ease. The good part is it looks like they are sewn bindings so the pages should be safe, but for those that want to keep their set in mint shape just handle them with care. All in all a minor gripe about this half of the set. Onto the deck . . . .




Side two pops open with the deck and a pale blue organza bag to keep it in. (Does anyone REALLY use those?) The deck is of very nice stock and has a nice semi-gloss finish to it so those that were worrying about the stock can rest easy, The deck measures up to about 1 1/4 inches so it's thicker then then normal 3/4-1 in decks we are used to but not as thick as the original that comes in at just over 1 1/2 inches. As for the images, yes Virginia they are from the Pam A. The only sort-a issue I have is that many of them look like they are reproductions of pictures of the deck if that makes any sense. Like if you take a picture of a card then print out the picture as opposed to having placed the card on a scanner and taken it like that. It's not on all cards but on a bunch of them enough to make it distracting. This also makes some of the fine lines blur a little.. The other thing is the artificial `aging' of the deck. This again takes away some of the crispness of the images and mutes the colors. Is this better then the ORWS? BY MILES!!!! You'll want to toss that one in the trash once you see this one, but is it the holy grail of decks? Sadly it falls short for me. It will become my go to for RWS reading wise but after going through it with the Pam A crackle back that I have tucked away in a box there is still a part of me that wishes that the original was cleaned and presented as a bright vivid reproduction as best as it could have been.

All in all a great effort that I'd give a B- too because the packaging, books, extras and card stock are outstanding (I hope they use that stock on other decks.) but the images are still sadly lacking. . . .sigh. . . . . but the cards do shuffle well and feel good under the fingers. I have no doubt that this will become the go to deck for most RWS fans and untill we get a brighter version of the 1910 this edition deserves it

"Although she may have been disillusioned with the art and publishing establishment, Pamela never ceased to believe in her abilities or in the worthiness of her art. Her personal effects contain many scraps of paper covered with drawings and doodles, and even her church missal is sketched on its margins and flyleaves. Smith was always busy with pencil and sketchbook." -- From The Artwork & Times of Pamela Colman Smith by Stuart R. Kaplan

While Pamela Colman Smith is best known for illustrating the Rider-Waite Tarot, in her day she received accolades and endorsements for not only her drawings, but also her paintings, theatrical set designs, cardboard props and storytelling abilities. In fact, J.M Barrie of Peter Pan fame thusly raves of Smith's oral presentations of folk stories from Jamaica: "I know of no more delightful entertainment for children than yours, so quaint, so simple; and it is the prettiest of pictures, the children sitting agape around you."

Irish poet and Nobel laureate W.B. Yeats echoes Barrie: "Miss Pamela Smith tells her little stories so naturally and simply that one cannot think she would have told them differently at the other side of the world, or a thousand years ago..."

In the introduction to Smith's illustrated book Annancy Stories, American diplomat and novelist of the South Thomas Nelson Page described the Jamaican tales as "perhaps the most original contribution to Negro Folklore since Uncle Remus."

In addition to her prolific art--which included watercolors, portraits, children's book illustrations, theater program drawings, book frontispieces, sheet music graphics and theatrical costume designs--Smith was also a publisher, poet, children's author, essayist and superb raconteur.

With the much-anticipated Pamela Colman Smith biography, author and U.S. Games founder Stuart R. Kaplan chronicles the social milieu of Smith's day, as well as Smith's originality, panache, friendships, business ventures, manner of dress, and engaging storytelling.

The 101-page book The Artwork & Times of Pamela Colman Smith features over 100 non-Tarot full-color samples of Smith's art interwoven with Mr. Kaplan's meticulous research. One of the most fascinating elements of the biography is the plenteous entries from her personal visitor's book containing poems, comments, signatures, doodles, and sketches from many prominent artists, writers and actors.

Another intriguing inclusion is a hand written letter from Smith to Alfred Stieglitz asking for money and mentioning that she "just finished a big job for very little cash: a set of designs for a pack of Tarot cards 80 designs."

The handsomely packaged double-sided fold-out box with two easy-pull yellow ribbons not only includes The Artwork & Times of Pamela Colman Smith biography, but also:

* A 238-page glossy version of Arthur Edward Waite's Pictorial Key to the Tarot

* The Smith-Waite Centennial Edition Tarot Deck, faithfully reproduced from the original 1909 deck

* Sky blue drawstring organza bag for deck storage

* Six glossy postcards featuring an assortment of Smith's art

* Three 5 x 7 glossy replications of Smith's artwork

* Black and White photo of Pamela Colman Smith

* 5 x 7 foldout of three Tarot spreads

Chock full of wonderful goodies, the Pamela Colman Smith Commemorative Set is a must-have for deck collectors, fans of the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot, art lovers and theater enthusiasts. This deluxe keepsake box set will be especially treasured by those who feel it's high time "Pixie" gets her due as an accomplished artist, keen observer, and soulful artisan outside of her Tarot illustrations.

(To see 16 images from the Smith-Waite Centennial Edition Tarot, visit the Reviews--Decks section at JanetBoyer.com)

-- Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book

Pamela Colman Smith Commemorative Set

2009 is the 100 years anniversary of the first publication of the famous esoteric tarot deck concepted by Arthur Edward Waite and illustrated by the artist Pamela Colman Smith. The deck was ready for the Christmas sales in 1909 and has ever since been the most popular deck of its kind, sold in more copies than all other esoteric tarot decks together during the 20th century.

To mark this anniversary various initiatives have been taken during the year: articles were written, tarot group meetings brought the Waite-Smith tarot high on the agenda, a mail art project was initiated.... US Games Systems Inc. (USGS), who since the 1970's earned a fortune on producing and selling the Waite-Smith tarot under the name `Rider Waite', have joined the acclaim by issuing a book/deck set named: "Pamela Colman Smith Commemorative Set". Included in the set is a reprint called `The Smith-Waite Centennial Edition Deck'. So now we have four names for the same deck: `Waite-Smith', `Rider Waite', `Rider-Waite Smith' and now `Smith-Waite' to complete the confusion. The last three names are all constructions made after 1972 when Stuart R. Kaplan of USGS obtained the rights to reissue the pack. Even if Rider was the first publisher, his name was never connected with the deck nor used in promotion or any early articles and books.

The book/deck set comes in a heavy box, which opens in the middle like a book revealing two inner compartments, which again can be opened by lifting each of their lids. In the left compartment we have the books plus postcards and prints. Under the right lid we find the deck (which has no box of its own but a light blue drawstring bag made of some synthetic material, which doesn't at all fit in with the otherwise agreeable impression of the set). One book is Waite's "The Pictorial Key to the Tarot" except that the illustrations are not included (!). Mr. Kaplan is apparently of the opinion, that the enclosed cards are sufficient. The book is obviously a photographic reprint based upon either the 1910 or the 1922 edition; which one, Mr. Kaplan doesn't find it relevant to state. The missing pages with illustrations have forced a renumbering of the text pages, which makes this edition impossible to be used as a reference. Why Waite's *The Key' which acompanied the original edition was not used instead is a riddle to me.

Further, in the same compartment, we find six postcards depicting various of Smith's illustrations plus four slightly larger prints, one of them rendering a well-known photography of Pamela Colman Smith. Furthermore a folder describing three card spreads. Last item in this compartment is what makes entire set interesting: a small 101 pages pocket size book authored by Stuart R.Kaplan himself and with the impressive title: `The Artwork & Times of Pamela Colman Smith - Artist of the Rider Waite (!)Tarot Deck'. In this book we find a wealth of colour illustrations of Pamela Colman Smith's art, most of them from Mr. Kaplan's own collection but also pieces from other sources. Which ones come from where is not obvious. The text, which, covers only 20-25 pages of the book's total of 101 pages is written in short sentences and it appears more like a listing of Colman Smith's works and enterprises. This book is however, worth it all for the well-printed 77 in colour and 48 b&w illustrations. I can't refrain from thinking, how much better the cost and energy of producing this entire set would have been used, if instead a large size art book accompanied by a text by a competent art historian had been published. But anyway, the book is nicely produced with clear colour illustrations and, as far as I know the only book that illustrates Smith's art so profusely.

Finally I come to the box's right compartment holding the "Smith-Waite Tarot Centennial Edition Deck'. Back in 2002 Stuart R. Kaplan, shortly before the International Tarot Society's congress, acquired at an ebay auction the first Waite-Smith Tarot found with the so-called `roses and lilies'- back pattern. The decks existence had been known for some time, but so far no copies had been unearthed. Kaplan presented the deck at the ITS-congress and held out the prospect of publishing a facsimile of the deck under the name of `Waite-Smith', a name he so far had not used for any USGS-products. The deck in the right box compartment is supposed to be that reprint of what is popularly known as the `roses and lilies'-pattern. Kaplan's set was the first found, later another one showed up, now owned by a Dutch collector.

Does this new reprint do justice to the original? I have inspected both known decks in natura and I must say that it doesn't - by no means. We have seen examples of that it is possible to reprint a deck, that is so close to the original, that the difference hardly can be seen. The feeling of the original can only be experienced when the material used comes close to that of the original, a feeling which this plastified edition can not recreate. Looking at the figures, it is - obviously - a reprint of the original `roses and lilies' pattern, but a major reproduction problem is particularly distinct in the coloured background areas, the blue and grey areas are rather muddy and with larger grains than the original. Another peculiarity is, that the back pattern, which gave this edition its popular name, has disappeared to be substituted by one single `irish rose' flanked by a stilised version of Smith's welknown signature which even is missing its characteristic period sign. The ways of tarot publishers are past understanding.

What was the purpose of calling this reprint edition `Smith-'Waite'? I can see two explanations: Stuart R. Kaplan will, undoubtedly, consider the many female `tarot readers' in USA, who constitute the majority of his customers. There have recently been voices among them advocating Pamela Colman Smith as the true creator of the Waite-Smith tarot. The fact is, imo, that without Waite there would not have been a `Smith tarot', all the while there easily could have been a `Waite Tarot' with another artist. Luckily, the two of them found together and created this inevitable tarot. The other explanation for the name is a lot more down to earth. Kaplan wanted to register the deck's name as a trademark, which he likely could not do, since the name `Waite-Smith' was already used publicly. I, for example, registered the web-name [...] back in 2002.

Summing up: The book with PCS's illustrations in colour are worth the whole set. The deck is acceptable but not more than that. Waite's `Illustrated Key' with no illustrations is a disaster. The box it all comes in is gorgeous. All made in China (even if I am in doubt about the deck's origin since there is no statement about that.).
[...]

Pamela Colman Smith converted to Catholicism shortly after she designed the Tarot Deck for Arthur Edward Waite around 1911. She had a private Catholic Chapel built in her home in England, and hand painted the exterior of the home with images of Catholic Saints and a Crucifix above the front door with strands of Ivy along the sides of the door. Her artwork in this last half of her life extended to her home, books, posters, chapel and artwork yet to be discovered.

She provided lodging for visiting Catholic Priests so she could have Mass celebrated in her private Chapel named Our Lady of the Lizard after a Peninsula of land in that area of Cornwall England, known as the Lizard. She visited friends (including Alphaeus Cole) in New York in the late 1940's, just a few years before her death, and exhorted them to join the Catholic Church, as the religion was to quote her, "such fun". I have always wondered what their reaction was to this unusual comment as recorded in the Biographical information by Stuart Kaplan.

Evidently, Pamela Colman Smith's new found Spiritual path in Catholicism gave her a peace of mind that continued with her until her death that she had not found in her earlier life. She had met with dismal failure in the art world in these early years, but from all accounts found serenity and peace in the Catholic Church after her conversion. She evidently cut off all contacts with the Golden Dawn, and her previous associations in the Art World for her new found spirituality, that stayed with her for the next 40 years until her death. During this period, she became so frustrated with her metaphysical and Art World friends, she is once reported as literally running from the presence of William Butler Yeats!

After her conversion to Catholicism, Pamela Colman Smith never ventured back into the Art World that had brought her only frustration and very little money or recognition in her early years. Her life after her initial success in New York and her design of this Tarot deck (for which she was paid very little by Arthur Edward Waite) appears as reclusive as was the case with Greta Garbo. Unlike Garbo, Pamela Colman Smith received no accolades (and very little money) during her lifetime, and would have probably dropped into obscurity had it not been for the popularity of the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck and its' influence on so many other Tarot Deck decks since its' publication 100 years ago. Many feel she may possibly be the most reproduced Artist in the world due to the publication of so many Tarot Decks using the images she designed.

Pamela Colman Smith kept a Catholic Prayer Book with her she used for devotions, and drew images from Catholicism in most of the pages. There must be a large amount of undiscovered artwork yet to be found in last 35 years of her life. One such piece of artwork that was painted around 1917 is for a Polish Relief Fund and depicts an image of The Virgin Mary. In appreciation of Pamela Colman Smith's life and work, I can only at this point make a statement that I feel she would appreciate Spiritually from her devotion to Catholicism. "Eternal Rest grant unto her, and may Perpetual Light shine upon her. May she Rest in Peace. In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost." It is my that hope that the last half of Pamela Colman Smith's life can be rediscovered, as has been so well done in this Commemorative Boxed Set dealing primarily with the first half.

I highly recommend this Commemorative Boxed Set in Pamela Colman Smith's memory, and the 100th Anniversary of the printing of the newly named Tarot Deck she designed, the Smith-Waite Tarot Centennial Edition Deck. The quality of material is excellent, the variety of contents (including Postcards and Artwork never seen before), packaging exceptional (even with ribbons and a blue cloth bag to keep the cards), and most importantly the biography which is very informative especially in view of the early years of Pamela Colman Smith's artistic endeavors and accomplishments. Stuart Kaplan of U S Games, is to be congratulated for the time and effort put into this very special project.

There are more tarot decks based on A.E. Waite's designs (and Pamela Coleman Smith's artwork) than any other tarot model.

There is the Rider Waite, the Golden Rider, the Universal Waite, the Albano Waite, The Original Rider Waite, The Radiant Rider Waite, and so on.

When we look at the Smith Waite Tarot Centennial Edition Deck, the first question we need to ask is this. Did the world really need yet another version of this deck?

To me, the answer is clear. The world desperately needs this deck, and any reader who values Pixie's humongous contribution needs it too.

US Games released this set to celebrate the one hundred year anniversary of the publication of the Waite designed images. That they took this as an opportunity to honor Pamela "Pixie" Colman Smith is brilliant, and long overdue.
Whether you are a new tarot student or an experienced reader, you may wonder why you should pay $35 for yet another Waite deck.

First, the deck is only a small part of what is included in this special set. The set comes in an attractive box that opens up to reveal compartments on each side. One compartment holds the tarot deck. The other holds a wealth of amazing stuff, included a new edition of the Pictorial Key to the Tarot, and a wonderful book by Stuart R. Kaplan.

Kaplan's book is "The Artwork and Times of Pamela Coleman Smith." It is one hundred pages of color illustrations and stories about Pixie. We can see her handwriting, read her poetry, and learn more about the woman who influenced tarot so greatly. Pixie finally becomes a real person, rather than simply the talented puppet who rendered drawings for Waite. The book includes primary source material. It is graphically beautiful, and a pleasure to read.

That same compartment holds other treats, including postcards of Pixie's non-tarot artwork, and a tarot spreadsheet. This truly is an epic collector's edition.
The tarot deck itself is a masterpiece. Of course, we are familiar with the images, and with the structure of the tarot itself. A few things make this edition special, and make it my very favorite edition of this deck for professional readings.

The cards are printed on very heavy stock. It is noticeably heavier than an average deck. It's perfect for a collector's edition! The deck stands taller than average decks when side-by-side. The weight of the stock does make the deck harder to shuffle. In all my years of professional reading, I have rarely developed calluses on my hands from sweating over the hot tarot cards. After using this deck as my primary reading deck for only a month, my hands had developed definite ridges. For me, this was kind of a cool badge of honor, although I understand that not every reader might appreciate it that way.

The card backs are a light antique-looking blue with a white border. The white flower from Death's flag is in the center. Pixie's familiar initial logo is large and black in alternate corners. The logo does cause clients to ask, "What does that symbol mean?" A quick opportunity to educate an interested client about tarot is never a bad thing.

The card images are re-colored in muted tones. There is a subtle texture, as well. Together, the tones and texture make the cards look antique, as if they had actually been made during Pixie's time.

In a way, I regret reading with my deck at all, since keeping this collector's set in mint condition might have been wise. But these cards are just too tempting to keep on the shelf.

My solution is to buy two sets. That way, you can send the postcards to your friends, or incorporate them in art or décor projects. You can read with the deck, use the books as reference, and still have a perfect set in your collection.

That's right, I am recommending this tarot set so highly, I think some folks will need not only one but two!

The earthy textures of these recolored cards, done the way the artist, Pamela Coleman Smith, originally intended them to be seen are absolutely beautiful. The booklet included on Coleman Smith's life and work was full of facinating bits of information, detailing the spiritualist movement, the Golden Dawn, and the social climate of the time, as well as photos and other images of her art.

This is the fifth RWS Tarot deck I own. I have Lo Scarabeo's Pamela Coleman Smith RWS version, the regular US Games pocket size, the "original RWS tarot deck box set" and a cheap local knock off.

This is hands down the best version I've ever seen. Its advantages over all the others are as follows:

-Beautiful desaturated colours unlike the rest which feature garish high contrasts in various degrees
-Excellent card stock (incomparable in thickness and quality to the rest)
-Best price for what you get - the others come close in terms of cost but are nowhere near in quality
-Best additional material. Which doesn't say much as the rest of the included items are badly made in comparison to the deck - the satin bag tore after a few days use, the books fall apart almost instantly due to the pages being too thick for the spine

A quick word on the other decks:
- Lo Scarabeo's version features, in my opinion cheap and flimsy card stock coupled with weirdly printed colours (there are gradients of colour where the colour should be uniform. Probably a flaw in the printing process. A small and mostly useless booklet is provided. All this for a relatively high price makes it a distant second best choice.
- The regular US games pocket size are printed on decent quality card stock. The plait backs are unattractive and the colors are horribly garish.
- The "original RWS" set is the worst of the lot. It comes in a fancy box with a small version of Waite's book. However the deck is a piece of garbage. The cards are more plastic than paper, and the colors are so saturated and uniform that the entire deck is unusable. Out of the 20+ decks I own this is easily the worst, and the worst I've ever seen.

Buy this product if you want a RWS deck and consider buying a separate bag and/or wooden box for storage, as the provided one counts on keeping the rest of the materials which makes the whole package a bit impractical to carry around and use regularly. I'm seriously considering selling all my other decks just to buy another copy of this one. Its that good!

The package is really nice and the cards better. The shipping was fast. The drawing of Pamela Colman lets you get into the meaning of each one very easy.

Although the reproductions of Pamela Colman Smith's non-Tarot art are interesting, the inferior binding on the package's two books completely undermines the value of this product. Neither book - the book of Smith's non-Tarot art, and the slightly re-worked version Waite's introduction to Tarot - looks as if it would survive intact a single reading. Indeed, I didn't dare fully open the books to a reading position - right from the start, the pages looked to be on the verge of separating from the spine. All in all, I have to dismiss this effort as a rather cheap marketing ploy, very disappointing. This package might someday have value as a collector's item, but don't try to read the books unless you want to risk destroying them in the process!