The Encyclopedia of Tarot, Stuart Kaplin, acknowledgement.

He hasn't just written a 4 vol set of encyclopedias, but also various other books on the subject of Tarot history, interpretation, keeping alive diverse packs. The guys a foundation stone of an entire industry

Yet when the subject of important books comes up he is rarely mentioned. Why?

This man has done more to advance our fascination on this subject, maybe more than any other writer.

I don't own any of his work, but I mention him from time to time. He comes up.

I recently found vol. 2 of his encyclopedia on Amazon for $14. It's great to have around and for reference. Haven't seen the other volumes, but I hear this one has the most info on old historic decks.
I wonder if he'll ever publish a full color version. It would be sweeet!

Inconnu said:

Yet when the subject of important books comes up he is rarely mentioned. Why?

This man has done more to advance our fascination on this subject, maybe more than any other writer.

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I agree.

I believe he is usually ignored, and sometimes dismissed, because:

1. He's not written too much for tarot readers. Many tarot lovers like books about how to read tarot cards.

2. His Encyclopedias are big and cover a lot of ground. They don't focus on one aspect or tell a story. It's a time investment to read them. They're definitely reference books. (To Bswett--yes, Vol. II covers the oldest decks and it's wonderful)

3. Sometimes people would rather speculate, and some present ideas as "discoveries" that could be traced to Kaplan if they read Kaplan.

4. Kaplan doesn't participate on tarot forums and he has few defenders--he doesn't have a "personality" that people know and recognize. He's just a great tarot researcher, collector, and publisher.

So that's my thinking about your question. I think we owe Stuart Kaplan basically All High Honors in tarot.

I think it's a generational thing in that his major published contributions were largely during the 1980s. I am hugely indebted to him. He was my guiding star as I delved deeper and deeper into tarot.

Then along came the 90s and what matters is what YOU think, not some erudite white male. Bring on the wiccan ladies. It's what we feel that matters, not what somebody else knows.

I have enormous respect and fondness for his contributions. But it now feels like another world. Yet I repeat: I feel huguely indebted to him. All that I feel for tarot, I can trace back to him.

Debra said:

2. His Encyclopedias are big and cover a lot of ground. They don't focus on one aspect or tell a story. It's a time investment to read them. They're definitely reference books. (To Bswett--yes, Vol. II covers the oldest decks and it's wonderful)

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THIS, I think. He isn't - on the whole - a good READ. He's a great look-up resource. But if one is asking "what books would you recommend when starting in tarot" and so on - most people suggest something that can be read from start to finish. (I know, I do it myself - and I use all four volumes of the encyclopaedia FREQUENTLY.) But actually - for TdM in particular - his book that goes with Tarot Classic is a fine bit of work, IMHO.

Debra said:

3. Sometimes people would rather speculate, and some present ideas as "discoveries" that could be traced to Kaplan if they read Kaplan.

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There HAVE been a couple of things cited where people HAD read him and he had got it wrong - and someone here would say "but in the encyclopaedia it says" and not notice that the OP would have said "I have this deck and that isn't actually...". No time to dig just now, but it can happen to the best of researchers. But he isn't actually god

Debra said:

4. Kaplan doesn't participate on tarot forums and he has few defenders--he doesn't have a "personality" that people know and recognize. He's just a great tarot researcher, collector, and publisher.

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I'm not so sure about that actually....

Debra said:

So that's my thinking about your question. I think we owe Stuart Kaplan basically All High Honors in tarot.

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YES indeed. Guests just arrived, more later.

Good to see from the posts that there is appreciation for Kaplan, but no, not god.

Agree about Vol II.
I remember finding Vol I when first published & found it to be a great introduction to the subject as I was just discovering Tarot.

& the Tarot Classic book, yes a fine reference.

However to stress my original point, in the book section here only Vol IV is listed. It is in my opinion his least essential work.

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/books/browse2.shtml

Apologies for misspelling his name in OP, (!...?)

Inconnu said:

However to stress my original point, in the book section here only Vol IV is listed. It is in my opinion his least essential work.

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/books/browse2.shtml

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You'd have to contact Solandia about the contents over on the other side of Aeclectic. All four volumes are listed in post 31 of the Tarot Books & Media Forum Index though.

Rodney

rwcarter said:

You'd have to contact Solandia about the contents over on the other side of Aeclectic. All four volumes are listed in post 31 of the Tarot Books & Media Forum Index though.

Rodney

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Thank you, good to see it listed there, but it makes sense to me to list all Volumes in the alphabetical book's listing for "Encyclopedia" or maybe under Kaplan's name.

I'd never of found it in post 31 of a thread. I'd look first under the book sub-section of the site.

I don't mean to be snarky.

Inconnu said:

I'd never of found it in post 31 of a thread. I'd look first under the book sub-section of the site.

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As I said, you would need to contact Solandia about the contents at aeclectic.net, as she runs that side of Aeclectic. Your concern is more likely to get on her radar by contacting her than it is by voicing it in a thread at tarotforum.net that she likely will never see.