Pamela Colman Smith's Signature

Rosanne

Hi Roppo!
That was interesting.
Do you think you could make that signature anywhere along the cliff?
There is not a box like space that was the device in other cards?
There was plenty of roon to the left on the blue etc- why was it so obscure?
Printing has not lost any other one- like the fine lined one on the Hierophant for example. The down stoke on the P is the strongest element and other cards might have suffered this fate but did not like the Ace of Cups? Or the Queen of pentacles? The oddest one is the narrowed one on Death.
I although I would like your generation of the signature to be correct- I am still not convinced.
~Rosanne
 

roppo

Hi Rosanne!

My guessing is that PCS was asked by Waite or the editor of Rider Co. not to put her monogram in the Fool drawing. A possible reason for the request might be that they were planning to use the image for many ways including box, frontboard, poster etc. PCS agreed, but secretly put her monogram among the lines of the cliff (she liked such trick. "PAX" of 4Swords is an example). But the copyst in the lithographic printing process failed to recognize it and did a rough rendering ; now what we see is a remains of PCS monogram.

I know it's just a gussing without hard evidence. I can offer another wilder version if you like :D

+++++++++++

Now I cancell my posts above on the " horizontal signature hidden in the cliff of the Fool". My present pet theory is "originally the drawing had been a little longer vertically, and the bottom space where PCS monogram stayed was later covered by a piece of paper". My guessing is that first PCS drew several trumps in full size 100mmx177mm, then she was told the size includes the title space. Re-drawing was unpractical so the emergency-aid was applied; a patch of paper was put over the bottom to make a title space. I believe several trumps ie The Fool, The Magician, The Sun and The Moon were modified thus. Other cards were okay from the start.
 

Rosanne

Now that is a perfectly reasoned explanation Roppo!
I actually thought once that it might have botched on the Fool right forward boot. :D Sometimes in the light the bag with the eagle head looks like a face lol.
I also think she was pulling Waite's leg with his initials in the Harp of Arthur on the X Pentacles."Hey there old Man!"
Yes you are right- how are we ever going to know?
~Rosanne
 

Uma

Does anybody know what Pamela's monogram, a straight and a sqiggling line is supposed to mean (apart from her initials)? It's very suggestive of Kundalini to me.
 

Teheuti

It seems to me that anything we see in Smith's monogram probably says more about us than about Smith.

I mention this only because of the numerous times I've talked to artists and authors who are always amazed by the things that other people think they've deliberately put in there! This is not to say that authors and artists don't deliberately use symbolism, of course they do. However, for symbolism to be effective, it is usually part of a repeating theme and therefore found elsewhere in either the artist's work(s) or among works that strongly influenced them. It's the finding of these repeating themes that turns something into a viable theory.

I make this point because we are in the history & iconography section, where it's worth trying to track down such evidence. Does anyone know of any piece of Pixie's artwork that reflects her monogram?
 

Uma

Teheuti said:
I mention this only because of the numerous times I've talked to artists and authors who are always amazed by the things that other people think they've deliberately put in there!
Click to expand...

Or it could be coming from their subconscious.
 

Teheuti

Uma said:
Or it could be coming from their subconscious.
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Definitely. But, how will we ever know that unless it appears as a repetitive theme in their other works? Couldn't it as likely be only in the conscious or subconscious of the person who is perceiving it? Isn't this license to say anything we like about a person's intentions?

Uma, I think it's perfectly fine for you to see Pixie's monogram as a kundalini image. However, you also asked if anyone knew what it was supposed to mean (I'm assuming, what it meant to Pixie). I've never come across anything of Pixie's that would substantiate a kundalini reference. Has anyone else?
 

KariRoad

Teheuti said:
Does anyone know of any piece of Pixie's artwork that reflects her monogram?
Click to expand...
Maybe, as far as Pamela was concerned, something like this?
MyTarotByMePCS.jpg
 
RWS Minors as continual narrative Background colours