By Sheri Harshberger
Pamela Colman Smith: Artist of the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck Commemorative Set
ISBN-13: 978-1-57281-639-8, ISBN-10: 1-57281-639-2
Published in 2009 by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
I am holding the Pamela Colman Smith Commemorative Edition Set created by U.S. Games Systems, Inc., to commemorate the 100th anniversary of what has been historically referred to as the "Rider-Waite Smith" deck. All I can say is "WOW."
This is truly something that was put together tastefully and respectfully, and pays honest and true homage to a great artist and a great, classic deck. Stuart Kaplan has long been known for his outstanding collections of historical and collectible cards. The periodic auctions are legendary. This is a man that is devoted to and loves cards. Only someone like Stuart Kaplan could articulate this love into a set like this.
Until the last couple of years, Pamela Colman Smith has largely been ignored for her participation in the creation of Arthur Waite's iconic deck. In 2007, the Association for Tarot Studies, an Australian Tarot organization, published The Story of the Waite-Smith Tarot by K. Frank Jensen, who some may recall was the editor of a highly respected Tarot publication called Manteia that was published between 1989 and 1997. This important book was the first that I have found that treated Pamela Colman Smith as an equal participant in the creation of the deck, and not as an artistic automaton that merely followed orders.
Stuart Kaplan and U.S. Games Systems, Inc., does "Pixie" and the Tarot community one better by producing a set that lives up to one of the statements on the slipcase that says "showcasing a lifetime of artwork by Pamela Colman Smith." Yes, the set comes with a Waite-Smith deck, that is referred to in the set as the Smith-Waite Tarot Centennial Edition Deck (more about the deck later), but only as an additional vehicle to show Pamela's art. The set includes The Pictorial Key to the Tarot by Arthur Edward Waite (to go with the deck), but the star is The Artwork & Times of Pamela Colman Smith: Artist of the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck by Stuart R. Kaplan. This very amazing book focuses on Pamela's art and style outside of her Tarot work. The set also includes 6 postcards and 3 larger (5 inch by 7 inch) examples of her work along with a portrait of Pamela herself... very cool!
The set comes in a sturdy and well made cubular case that opens in half like a book. Both halves are covered with ribbon pulls. The left side contains the books and the artwork, the right contains the deck and blue organza deck bag.
I don't want to waste time critiquing a deck that has been one of the ubiquitous, if not the ubiquitous deck of the 20th century, but I do want to mention some things that U.S. Games Systems, Inc., has done differently with this deck than the others published since... which, I think, has made it very special.
The deck is wonderful! Although a reproduction of the original deck, it has been renamed as the Smith-Waite Tarot Centennial Edition Deck. The backs are light blue and reversible with one of her roses centered with her signature initials on either end. The imagery is aged looking, to make it look like a deck that has been handed down from generation to generation. The card stock is sturdy but flexible. When I pulled cards and put them on the table, they snapped with delicious resound. They also shuffle like a dream with no sticking.
I was shocked when I found out the price for this set! I felt it should be much higher than it is, considering the quality of the packaging and the content. Decks alone sell at this price! This is definitely a must have for any fan of Pamela Colman Smith or user of a Waite deck in the past, or anyone wishing to own a very tastefully and respectfully done homage to one of the great women in art and Tarot history.