Teheuti
Moved from other thread. As I get new information I'll edit the history in this first post so that it's easily available. Note that I found several items by Fulgour to be most helpful.
RWS Deck Post-1970 Publishing History:
1970 Rider-Waite Tarot (see original, 1909) “reissued in 1970 by U.S. Games Systems, Inc., New York; Hutchinson Publishing Group Ltd., London; and AG Muller & Cie, Switzerland.” _Encyclopedia of Tarot_, Vol. 1.
(Also notes: “Other versions issued by University Press, New York, and Albano Productions, California and Merrimack Publishing Corp.”)
The U.S. Games editions can be dated by copyright & reprint number on LWB and by the U.S. Games address on the box:
• 120 Wall Street, New York N.Y. 10005 (1968-1969) Published only Tarock No. 1 JJ in a white wrapper.
• 468 Park Avenue South, New York, N.Y. 10016 (roughly 1970-1980) The copyright does not appear on the cards until around 1975. Matte finish (not plasticized).
• 38 East 32nd Street, New York, N.Y. 10016 (roughly 1980-1990). The cards became glossy (plasticized) around 1985.
• Stamford, CT (1990-on?)
1990 - Rider Delux, gilt edges.
1993 - "Original Rider-Waite" - based on Pamela C of 1931.
Circa 1995 the calligraphy titles were replaced with a typographic font. Carta Mundi bought A.G. Mueller (date?). A tiny sliver of the cards seems to have been eliminated.
Circa 2004 production switched to Italy. Modiano now print more or less all US Games decks, bar the ones they have manufactured in China. There’s a high gloss finish and lower print quality with uneven color balancing from card-to-card. Different typeface from the Carta Mundi editions.
1971-? Weiser edition:
“Before U.S. Games Systems Inc. put a copyright on Stuart R. Kaplan's "little white book" (the enclosed instructions, and not the actual Tarot and/or the art by Pamela Colman Smith), Weiser was working with Rider & Co. of London selling this deck in America. Weiser has their name on the famous yellow box, and their own edition of the "little white book" too.” (thanks to Fulgour Prentice on aeclectic & amazon).
Mid-20th century British printings of the deck appear as follows:
• (1931-53?) Dark green slipcase box: Rider and Co, 47, Princes Gate, London. Made and printed by Fisher Knight and Co Ltd, Gainsborough Press, St Albans. White-cover copy of “Key to the Tarot” No date. No copyright on cards.
• Waddington Playing Cards Co. LTD., 40 Wakefield Road, Leeds LS10 3TP, Yorkshire England. Publisher/Importer. No known example of an Waddington/non-Rider deck. [John Waddington Limited was a leading producer of playing cards and card games in the UK during the period 1922-1995. The company was founded in the nineteenth century by Mr John Waddington and Wilson Barratt as Waddingtons Ltd. It was renamed John Waddington Ltd in 1905. The original Mr John Waddington resigned in 1913. During the 1960s Waddington's bought La Ducale and then B.P. Grimaud, and in 1971 took over Alf Cooke. http://www.wopc.co.uk/waddingtons/index.html.
• Blue lift-off box with World card (yellow wreath & purple scarf). Printed by A. G. Mueller.
-Side 1 reads: The original and only authorized edition of Tarot Cards / Rider & Co, 3 Fitzroy Square, London W1 / in association with Waddington Playing Card Co Ltd.”
-End flap: “First edition 1910/ Reprinted many times to 1939/ Second edition 1971.”
-Side 3: Pamela Colman Smith’s name correctly spelled as “Colman.”
-No copyright on cards.
Lines sharper and colors slightly more intense than later versions. Matte. Fitzroy Square seems to be the address through 1975. [I have a Waddington-labeled deck with a LWB that says “This edition 1972 / Printed by Flarepath Printers Ltd., Watling Street, Colney Street, St. Albans, Herts.”]
[Accompanied by book: “Key to the Tarot” (same image as box): book (sold separately) says: “All Rights Reserved” First published 1910/This edition 1972/Second impression 1973/Third impression 1974. ISBN 0 09 109351 1.]
• Slightly lighter blue lift-off box with World card (green wreath & purple scarf).
-Printed by A. G. Mueller. Rider & Co -17-21 Conway Street - London W1P6JD. (Post-1975?)
-Pamela Colman Smith’s name spelled incorrectly as “Coleman.”
-Copyright on lower right margins of cards in editions after 1975. Same quality as U.S. Games. Matte.
• Purple lift-off box with Fool card. Copyright on cards.
• Royal blue with World and Fool on lift-off box. Rider & Co. (Random House). UK distribution only, March 1987. ISBN 0091093406
1971 U.S. Games claims copyright to the “Rider-Waite Tarot Deck”. This copyright only begins to appear on the bottom right-hand border of cards published after 1975(?). [Note: for the best reason as to validity of copyright see any discussion of the William Butler Yeats copyright, which has similar issues.]
Note: I still need info on WHEN decks were printed in Belgium and Italy, plus any other relevant details.
See Holly Voley's comparison of RWS clones at:
http://home.comcast.net/~vilex/ShipofFools.html
Frank Jensen shows an early Waddington's tuck box (early 70s?):
http://www.manteia-online.dk/waite-smith/blue-box.htm
Mary K. Greer
RWS Deck Post-1970 Publishing History:
1970 Rider-Waite Tarot (see original, 1909) “reissued in 1970 by U.S. Games Systems, Inc., New York; Hutchinson Publishing Group Ltd., London; and AG Muller & Cie, Switzerland.” _Encyclopedia of Tarot_, Vol. 1.
(Also notes: “Other versions issued by University Press, New York, and Albano Productions, California and Merrimack Publishing Corp.”)
The U.S. Games editions can be dated by copyright & reprint number on LWB and by the U.S. Games address on the box:
• 120 Wall Street, New York N.Y. 10005 (1968-1969) Published only Tarock No. 1 JJ in a white wrapper.
• 468 Park Avenue South, New York, N.Y. 10016 (roughly 1970-1980) The copyright does not appear on the cards until around 1975. Matte finish (not plasticized).
• 38 East 32nd Street, New York, N.Y. 10016 (roughly 1980-1990). The cards became glossy (plasticized) around 1985.
• Stamford, CT (1990-on?)
1990 - Rider Delux, gilt edges.
1993 - "Original Rider-Waite" - based on Pamela C of 1931.
Circa 1995 the calligraphy titles were replaced with a typographic font. Carta Mundi bought A.G. Mueller (date?). A tiny sliver of the cards seems to have been eliminated.
Circa 2004 production switched to Italy. Modiano now print more or less all US Games decks, bar the ones they have manufactured in China. There’s a high gloss finish and lower print quality with uneven color balancing from card-to-card. Different typeface from the Carta Mundi editions.
1971-? Weiser edition:
“Before U.S. Games Systems Inc. put a copyright on Stuart R. Kaplan's "little white book" (the enclosed instructions, and not the actual Tarot and/or the art by Pamela Colman Smith), Weiser was working with Rider & Co. of London selling this deck in America. Weiser has their name on the famous yellow box, and their own edition of the "little white book" too.” (thanks to Fulgour Prentice on aeclectic & amazon).
Mid-20th century British printings of the deck appear as follows:
• (1931-53?) Dark green slipcase box: Rider and Co, 47, Princes Gate, London. Made and printed by Fisher Knight and Co Ltd, Gainsborough Press, St Albans. White-cover copy of “Key to the Tarot” No date. No copyright on cards.
• Waddington Playing Cards Co. LTD., 40 Wakefield Road, Leeds LS10 3TP, Yorkshire England. Publisher/Importer. No known example of an Waddington/non-Rider deck. [John Waddington Limited was a leading producer of playing cards and card games in the UK during the period 1922-1995. The company was founded in the nineteenth century by Mr John Waddington and Wilson Barratt as Waddingtons Ltd. It was renamed John Waddington Ltd in 1905. The original Mr John Waddington resigned in 1913. During the 1960s Waddington's bought La Ducale and then B.P. Grimaud, and in 1971 took over Alf Cooke. http://www.wopc.co.uk/waddingtons/index.html.
• Blue lift-off box with World card (yellow wreath & purple scarf). Printed by A. G. Mueller.
-Side 1 reads: The original and only authorized edition of Tarot Cards / Rider & Co, 3 Fitzroy Square, London W1 / in association with Waddington Playing Card Co Ltd.”
-End flap: “First edition 1910/ Reprinted many times to 1939/ Second edition 1971.”
-Side 3: Pamela Colman Smith’s name correctly spelled as “Colman.”
-No copyright on cards.
Lines sharper and colors slightly more intense than later versions. Matte. Fitzroy Square seems to be the address through 1975. [I have a Waddington-labeled deck with a LWB that says “This edition 1972 / Printed by Flarepath Printers Ltd., Watling Street, Colney Street, St. Albans, Herts.”]
[Accompanied by book: “Key to the Tarot” (same image as box): book (sold separately) says: “All Rights Reserved” First published 1910/This edition 1972/Second impression 1973/Third impression 1974. ISBN 0 09 109351 1.]
• Slightly lighter blue lift-off box with World card (green wreath & purple scarf).
-Printed by A. G. Mueller. Rider & Co -17-21 Conway Street - London W1P6JD. (Post-1975?)
-Pamela Colman Smith’s name spelled incorrectly as “Coleman.”
-Copyright on lower right margins of cards in editions after 1975. Same quality as U.S. Games. Matte.
• Purple lift-off box with Fool card. Copyright on cards.
• Royal blue with World and Fool on lift-off box. Rider & Co. (Random House). UK distribution only, March 1987. ISBN 0091093406
1971 U.S. Games claims copyright to the “Rider-Waite Tarot Deck”. This copyright only begins to appear on the bottom right-hand border of cards published after 1975(?). [Note: for the best reason as to validity of copyright see any discussion of the William Butler Yeats copyright, which has similar issues.]
Note: I still need info on WHEN decks were printed in Belgium and Italy, plus any other relevant details.
See Holly Voley's comparison of RWS clones at:
http://home.comcast.net/~vilex/ShipofFools.html
Frank Jensen shows an early Waddington's tuck box (early 70s?):
http://www.manteia-online.dk/waite-smith/blue-box.htm
Mary K. Greer