The Pamela Colman Smith Centennial Deck review thread

Le Fanu

minrice said:
I have yet to read the book on Pam's art, I have been saving it for a special occassion. Don't know what yet haha, maybe as a treat for a sick day, bored day, or down day!

Oh read it minrice, it is a fascinating and moving story. I read my copy in two days and found the trajectory of her life from promising illustrator to dejected and and frustrated illustrator deeply moving. You will view the deck through different eyes.

With no exaggeration, I will never look at the RWS deck the same again. I can see it more now within the artistic context of one person's remarkable imagination. And she was quite an outsider, which I think comes through. You can really feel PCS's presence and fundamental loneliness on cards like the 5 of Cups...
 

Wisp Wings

Just Ordered

Okay, I have read the entire thread and I really feel that I will love this set. I am with HearthCricket if for certain the people on the cards no longer have measles. I have always hated to use a truly rws deck due to this. I love the art, hate the coloring.

I just ordered myself two sets. So now is the waiting game. Ugh.

I really have enjoyed the thread. Thank you for a great review Starlightexp.
 

Disa

My set arrived today. I am so pleased with the cards. I love the way they feel and the coloring really does make them feel aged. I think I finally have a RWS that I can actually use! There's something very special about these.
 

The 78th Fool

Mine arrived last week and I couldn't be more thrilled with it. The deck itself is glorious and has become my RWS of choice. The back design is wonderful and as a facsimile reproduction, this far outshines the 'Original' Rider Waite. My only minor quibble would be the inexplicable omission of the black and white card illustrations from this new edition of the Pictorial Key to the Tarot. Why remove them? Even if they weren't included in the first edition, it would be very useful to have them there for reference.

Chris. xx
 

gregory

The 78th Fool said:
Mine arrived last week and I couldn't be more thrilled with it. The deck itself is glorious and has become my RWS of choice. The back design is wonderful and as a facsimile reproduction, this far outshines the 'Original' Rider Waite. My only minor quibble would be the inexplicable omission of the black and white card illustrations from this new edition of the Pictorial Key to the Tarot. Why remove them? Even if they weren't included in the first edition, it would be very useful to have them there for reference.

Chris. xx
Yes - that puzzled me too..... Very odd.
 

starlightexp

The 78th Fool said:
Mine arrived last week and I couldn't be more thrilled with it. The deck itself is glorious and has become my RWS of choice. The back design is wonderful and as a facsimile reproduction, this far outshines the 'Original' Rider Waite. My only minor quibble would be the inexplicable omission of the black and white card illustrations from this new edition of the Pictorial Key to the Tarot. Why remove them? Even if they weren't included in the first edition, it would be very useful to have them there for reference.

Chris. xx


I could be wrong but I think that they would have more then double the size of the book making the set more expensive plus I think that they might have thought that since you have a copy of the card that you could use them with the book.
 

truelighth

My guess is that they published the Key without the pictures to mirror the original publishing in 1909. The original "Key" also didn't have any pictures of the cards in it. Only later editions did, and then it was called "Pictoral Key". But the ones that come with the Pam-A have no pictures and are just called "Key to the Tarot".
 

wytchwood

I have a couple of different editions of the 'Key' with no pictures, instead the author describes the scene on each card...also I have the 'pictorial key' and indeed it seems to be the same book but with the addition of black and white pictures. I did find it a bit odd to find that the book in the new kit has the title 'pictorial' but it's not pictorial....how strange...

add:

Why not just call it the 'key'?
 

gregory

truelighth said:
My guess is that they published the Key without the pictures to mirror the original publishing in 1909. The original "Key" also didn't have any pictures of the cards in it. Only later editions did, and then it was called "Pictoral Key". But the ones that come with the Pam-A have no pictures and are just called "Key to the Tarot".
Ah. The definitive answer ! Thanks !
 

truelighth

gregory said:
Ah. The definitive answer ! Thanks !

Well, I don't know if it is the definate answer. I don't work for US Games ya know :D. But it does seem to make sense. And yes, why not call it just the "Key to the Tarot" then... that is a good question.