Pamela Colman Smith Commemorative Set

Creator(s): A.E.Waite, Pamela Colman Smith
Date: 1910*, 2009
Country: USA
Publisher: US Games
Number of Cards: 78
ISBN: 978-1-57281-639-8   
Type: RWS
Reference: Encyclopedia of Tarot, vol. IV, pp. 484-491

Notes:
The Commemorative Set is a rather huge package. It included two books, the 78 cards and assorted extras, such as a little blue organza bag  for storing the deck, a fold out with tarot spreads as well as some postcards and pictures.

One book is Waite's "The Pictorial Key to the Tarot" except that the illustrations are not included (!).  The book is obviously a photographic reprint based upon either the 1910 or the 1922 edition; which one isn't mentioned. The missing pages with illustrations have forced a renumbering of the text pages, which makes this edition impossible to be used as a reference. 

The other book, "The Artwork and Times of Pamela Colman Smith" by Stuart R. Kaplan is a small biography. Pamela Colman Smith's life and family history are thoroughly covered and many colour illustrations of her art, most of them from Mr. Kaplan's own collection but also pieces from other sources are displayed throughout the book with notes that help the reader learn about the mediums that Colman-Smith worked with throughout her life (watercolor, ink, pencil, etc.) as well as all the different places where her work was featured (book illustrations,  magazines, etc.)

This deck is obviously a reprint of the same original `roses and lilies' deck from Kaplan's collection that was already used for the Original Rider Waite Tarot , but  the back pattern, which gave this edition its popular name, has disappeared to be substituted by one single `Irish rose' flanked by a stylized version of Smith's  signature. 

One major reproduction problem with this edition is that  the coloured background areas, particularly  the blue and grey areas are rather muddy and with larger grains than the original. 

Original Rider Waite Tarot

Creator(s): A.E.Waite, Pamela Colman Smith
Date: 1910*, 1999
Country: USA
Publisher: US Games / Rider
Number of Cards: 78
ISBN: 978-0712-658461   
Type: RWS
Reference: Encyclopedia of Tarot, vol. IV, pp. 484-491

Notes:

The first edition of the Rider-Waite Tarot appeared in December 1909 originally published by Rider and Sons, London. This publication came to an end during the Second World War when the printing plates were destroyed in the London Blitz. The original artwork had probably been split up for sale (it has never been unearthed again).US Games began publishing the deck in 1971. They now have the copyrights and patents on all the various permutations of the decks name. Rider and Sons are once again publishing their own edition by arrangement with U.S. Games.

 The Originial Rider Waite Tarot, published by US Games in 1999, is a facsimile of a very early edition Rider-Waite Tarot, which is part of Stuart R. Kaplan's collection. The back design is a blue and white pattern of roses and lilies. Other early editions feature the rose and lillie design in brown and red, or a crackled back. Waite described the rose as "the Mystic Rose, which signifies life".

There is an article from 1999 by Frank Jensen in the Manteia Courier, which explains how to identify different early editions of the Rider-Waite Tarot. The Original Rider Waite Tarot seems to be a facsimile of a so called Pamela-C variant from 1910.

Pamela-C versions have dotted tinting and a sun card with a heavy undulating line plus extra line (see picture upper right side near the number).

The cards of the facsimile edition from 1999 have a 1971 US Games copyright statement on each card. My copy was printed in Belgium and distributed by Rider and not by US Games direct. It came in a dark blue box with gold rose and lillie design.

The Original Rider-Waite Tarot differs from the Rider-Waite Tarot, as it has less saturated colours and a brownish hue, titles as drawn by Pamela Colman-Smith, and a more decorative back pattern.