Just obtained a University books edition.

[Logiatrix]

My copy of Pictorial Keys To The Tarot is published by 'Causeway Books', circa 1973.
It has color plates of each card, with coloring that looks exactly like the scans shared by 78thFool...
Has anybody seen or heard of this edition?

 

[Fulgour]

Carol Pub. Corp. '66

How about these folks? It's the same
deck in every way except the address.

Complete Authentic Tarot Cards
by Pamela Colman Smith, Waite

Publisher: Carol Publishing Corporation
(September 1, 1966)
ISBN: 0821600206

 

[Fulgour]

University Books

aka

Citadel Press

Carol Publishing Group

Laine Carol Publishing Group Inc

 

[Cerulean]

On the Causeway Books Edition with Jan 2, 1973 foreword by Charles San

I found this at a used bookstore. The 1973 Causeway book is longer than the 1959 University Books edition by 2 and one-half inches. The Causeway contains a nice introduction that explains the 1959 University Books edition was the original color printing of the cards in book format.

My comparisons are subjective though--I bought a University Books edition that was first rate after much searching and from a personal library from a book reviewer. The Causeway Books edition was a less expensive stumble in a used bookstore.

My Causeway book has each page with a typeset font that is at least two points larger than my University books. Each illustration is also two to three shades darker because my Causeway books edition has misprints all over--the light blue background of the University Books Page of Wands has become a brighter and darker blue background. Most the red printing on my Wands pages are misaligned.

My other example is the Ten of Swords. In the University Books edition that I have, the swords are light blue on the right hand side of each blade with a crisp and clear white highlight on the left side. I can see distinct lines in the clouds in back of the swords, a black on gray and a soft yellow sky.The light blue mountains and water are separated by a blush of red on the water and the yellow sky is distinct.

In contrast--a distinct one in the Causeway edition--the swords are greenish blue, without the white highlighting. It's only when I compare card by card that I realize my 1973 Causeway pictures are not as nicely printed as the 1959 color edition of the University Books. Each card in the Causeway edition has a rounded corner border outline around the image. There are not any borders in the University Books 1959 edition.

But if you like the larger typeface, brighter color and larger card pictures of the 1973 Causeway and the introduction, this version is likely easier to find in used bookstores and abebooks.com.

The 1973 Causeway has the standard book number of 0-8835-006-2 or Library of Congress number of 72-97378.

The 1959 University Books edition has only the Library of Congress Catalog number of 59-15903.

I don't know if the comparison helps. This is just what I found so far.

Regards,

Cerulean

 

[cSpaceDiva]

Just received my eagerly awaited University Books deck. My first thought was, what a cool box. My second thought was, color printing sure has come a long way...

 

[Lillie]

Some time ago I got a University books deck (with the fool on the box)
A few weeks ago I got the USG deck (magician on the Box, mid 80's probably)

I have been a bit busy with one thing and another since then, but today I did what I had always intended to do, and sat down with both decks and compared them, card for card.

As I expected all the cards were identical except for the colours, which are generally much brighter, and occassionally quite different on the University books deck.

Other than that they appeared identical. As if two people had been given the same line drawings and basic colouring instructions, but slightly different sets of felt pens.

All except for the two of Swords.
In the card the woman sits with water beind her, and in the water two islands. The island on the right of the card is the same on both. The island on the left is totally different!
(Also the Uni deck has an odd splodge on her knee)

Has anyone else noticed the island?
What's it like on other editions? The original for instance, or one of the old Pamela decks?

I suspect that the Uni deck will be the odd one out.

 

[cSpaceDiva]

The only other deck I have to compare it with is the Universal Waite, but I also looked in the pictorial key. As you suspected, the University Books with its tall island is the odd one. How Strange. I don't see anything unusual about the knee though.

 

[Lillie]

The knee thing is a sort of black circle on her knee. I think it was an ink bubble or fault of some kind, and is probaly only on my deck.
The printing on the whole deck is pretty shoddy, so I wouldn't be surprised.

The island is odd though. It is so different it is like that portion of the card was completely redrawn.

Funny old world, eh?

 

[The 78th Fool]

I've never noticed the island until now - eventhough I've had a University Books edition for nearly a year now. The question of these images being redrawn and by whom is a really vexing one. Just have a look at the four different versions of the Sun Card on Holly's Rider Waite Site:

http://home.comcast.net/~vilex/SunComparison/main-Sun.html

Look at the eyes in the Sun itself - different on two of the four cards. Look also at the flag on the bottom card - many of the black shading lines are missing. Compare an 'Original' Rider Waite with a standard U.S. Games 1972 and you'll find lots of these kinds of differences. On the standard deck, the title on the Page of Cups is sitting to the left. on the 'Original' it is perfectly centred and the lettering looks different.

Just how many versions did Pamela Coleman Smith draw? Or are some of these 'tracings' from the originals, done by other people when fresh printing blocks were being prepared for later editions?

Confusing or What?! As to where the tall island on the University books version fits into this - I haven't go a clue!

 

[The 78th Fool]

PS. Just discovered that The University books edition makes really good desktop wallpaper (see attachment below). I tiled this at 1024 by 768. My screen looks very cheerful indeed now!