Pamela Colman Smith Commemorative Set

Must have for Waite/Rider Deck collectors/Users, I love Pamelas Colmans & A.E Waites Decks and this is the deck I've been looking for, The commemorative set is so well laid out and stylish I couldn't beleave how well its presented. Its comes with the commemorative Coleman & Waire Tarot deck which is the original print of the 1909 deck and the best version of the Tarot deck. Also it comes with a book about P.Colman and her work and A.E.Waite's book the Pictorial Key to the tarot. Its also comes with art postcard prints a tarot card layout sheet and art poster prints. My collection ended when I bought this... Well for now :) WARNING!! I didnt notice this at first but the Waites Pictorial Key to the Tarot that comes with this set has misprints in it, the book it self would have been the best print of the book ive seen if only for one they put the Tarot picture prints in the book which isnt the biggest deal since you have the actual deck but even still. Also another problem is the chapter Contents at the start of the book is missing a section 'a history to the tarot' which is in the book just not listed on the contents also in the 'trumps major and their innner simbolism' section later in the book there is a page completly missing, its the page with the description of the No21 'The World' major trump. I noticed this straight away as I read through 1st time but luckly I have another version of the book, so word of warning Great Tarot And P.coleman set but if your looking to read the 'The Pictorial key to the Tarot' buy another cheap print on the side.

This is such a beautiful edition of the traditional Waite-Smith (otherwise known as the Rider-Waite) deck. The colouring is beautiful, and allows details in the cards to come through clearly. The deck feels great and is easy to shuffle. I would recommend the Commemorative Set for the biography of Pamela Colman Smith which comes with it

I havent always loved the Rider Waite Smith deck. To be honest, once I realised there were other good decks out there, my copy fell to the very bottom of my reading pile. But when I saw the scans of this reprint.. I am blow away by the deck! The deck itself has a little tint to the deck, to make it look older, but also in sympathy for the first print of the deck. It looks and feels much better to me, that olde feeling of a deck that really is 100 years old and works with Colman Smith's artwork. As well as the deck you get 2 books. One is the pictorial key to the tarot by Arthur edward waite and the artwork and times of pamela colman smith by Stuart Kaplan. Kaplan's book has lots of scans from PCS's artwork and anything he can find connected to her and her life. Its a wonderful book and such an insight into the forgotten artist of this deck. There is also a little blue bag for the deck and sheet with 3 spreads on. All in all this set is wonderful and well worth the money. The presentation box, 2 books, deck, bag and spread poster is just amazing for the price of about £23 and this is owning part of Tarot history. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

I purchased this commemorative set for the sole purpose of reading the much anticipated book on Pamela's life and art as I already owned the Rider Waite deck itself, along with the accompanying cards' interpretations by A E Waite. Having finished this publication I was so eager to read, I will give a brief description only as an addendum to the other reviews: The Artwork and Times of Pamela Colman Smith is written by Stuart R Kaplan, who fortunately takes this endeavour to inform us with this insight into Pamela's life very seriously. The 101 page book contains lots of her non tarot illustrations, and varied examples of her poems or writings in a chronological order. The biographical information builds an interesting and often poignant picture of Smith's personal hopes, ideals, and public ventures, without being in any way obtrusive: a worthy retrospective of a creative life well lived. This set is certainly recommended for anyone newly interested in tarot, or those who enjoy art, biographies, or those willing to delve into the accomplishments and spirit of this fascinating lady.

This edition is a must have for fans of the Rider Waite Tarot. This is the edition I have been seeking out for years as it features the images as they were originally printed in 1909 unlike the current re-coloured and re-edited versions which I could never fully connect with. This deck is much clearer to the Original Waite and doesn't have the green skies in many of the images. However some people have complained about the grainy or newspaper like print of these cards. The reason for this is because the images have been most likely scanned from the original first edition deck from 1909 - as the original card drawings have never been discovered and allegedly got lost during the war. This also explains why there are so many bad printings of this deck as they have been simply recopied from copies and not the original.

Wow, what can I say... Yesterday I wrote a review about the Sola Busca Tarot which was described as a museum quality kit and I was disappointed, it only got 4 stars. Today I am writing a review about the Pamela Colman Smith Commemorative set and I am blown away by the quality, the presentation, the reproduction and the content of this kit. The colours and print mimic the originals very closely, the cards are printed on good quality stock, they are a good size which makes them easy to hold and the coffret is well designed to accommodate two books, a number of postcard size images and the pack of cards. Added to that there is a nice little bag to hold the cards together. Very pleased.

O deck é M A R A V I L H O S O!!! Vale a pena o investimento. Comprem sem medo! As cartas são bem firmes e deslizam, qualidade impecável!! Sem contar que vem em um box lindo com os livros.

付録のパメラ・コールマン・スミスの画集が目当てで購入しました。 画集と見比べると、このカードはパメラ女史の画風を良く伝えていると思いました。ケースも含めた全体が、アールヌーボーの雰囲気を醸し出すデザインです。ど素人の身を省みず感想を言わせて頂けば、ウェイト版タロットの様々なバージョンがある中、この画家本来の画風及びそれに影響を与えていた製作当時の時代の風を再現した点にかけては、このセットが一番ではないでしょうか。 また、カード裏面のデザインもセンスが良く、嬉しかったです。 画集とあともう一冊の付録であるウェイトによる解説本も、いずれも予想以上にしっかりした書籍で、好企画だと思いました。 なお、このウェイトの解説本の日本語翻訳は、「タロット公式テキストブック」(魔女の家BOOKS)として出版されています。アレクサンドリア木星王先生による同書の解説によると、タロットは大好評でしたが、パメラ女史はその後ゴールデンドーンを脱退。そのため、ライダー社が第二弾の発売を望んでいたにも関わらず、女史が再びタロットを描く機会は無かったそうです。晩年は経済的に恵まれない生活だったとか。 実に残念なお話です。 せめて、このデッキでパメラ女史の遺業を少しでも偲べたらと思いました。

These cards are soooooo beautiful. I love the fact that they aren't very shiny. (Some tarot cards are way too shiny) I really really like the muted colours. It gives an old time vintage feel. I really really like the backs of the cards, they are a nice light blue with a simple flower in the middle and Pamela's signature. The size is perfect and the thickness of the cards is also right on point. If you are looking for a rider Waite tarot deck and you're not sure which one to choose, I recommend looking at the comparison videos on YouTube. I unfortunately couldn't find the video that helped me but there are quite a few videos that talk about the differences in colour, texture, shine, and print quality. Not to mention decks printed in different decades. ( there are differences!) Because I like vintage looking things I quite like this deck. I feel like it's also a high quality deck in terms of colour, shape, texture like I mentioned. The extras that come in the set, the mesh bag, the little postcard sized renderings of her art, I wasn't too thrilled about. They weren't the best quality. But, they are just extras really. I bought the set for the deck itself. And it's my go to tarot deck now :)

Beau coffret, bien complet avec 2 livres 1 sur l'art de Pamela Colman Smith , et 1 sur le Tarot d'après Edward Waite, très intéressant ( pour les anglophones)quelques cartes postales très belles, ensuite le jeu , je regrette un peu la qualité du jeu.. qui est quand même le but de ce coffret .. les cartes ne sont pas bien cadrées .. petit détail mais on attendais quelque chose d'un peu mieux.. je préfère le jeu Original Waite, sinon pour le prix qui reste abordable c'est un très beau cadeau à offrir ou à s'offrir .

First, make sure this is the Pamela Coleman Smith Commemorative Edition (PCSC ed.) not the Centennial—I mean, assuming that’s what you want. (The other seems similar, but smaller, and in a tin, and I don’t own them.). [This review has been edited to add pictures and expand on some points, but mostly to correct the appalling typos!] I can’t say enough about these cards. Others might think they’re too dark, or not as striking at the usual RWS versions, or whatever, and that’s fine. There are plenty of choices for us all. I think this one gives you an antique choice—this may be as close to the original RWS deck as we can get. The cards are are not too thick to handle with ease. CBD Tarot de Marseille and The Golden Tarot are examples of “riffle-proof” decks. Those cards are so thick it’s nearly impossible to shuffle by flexing two halves between your hands so they whisk together like magic. Many prefer the running (overhand) shuffle anyway. But the PCSC ed. deck under review riffles with ease. The flip side is they are thin enough to bow if you do crazy things with your cards like put them in a bag beneath your head at night. CBD wouldn’t be bothered by that, but you know what you expect from your deck. Make no mistake: these are well-made cards that won’t feel flimsy or likely to wear out soon. So take them for a spin and come back smiling at the ease of handling. What do they look like? Old Timey. The colors are muted which makes a huge difference. There aren’t differences in the illustrations—this is just a beautiful, historical deck that transports to you the turn of the 20th Century. Now-beloved artist Pamela Coleman “Pixie” Smith did a job for A.E. Waite she described as a lot of work for very little money! Call me sentimental, but I felt closer to the artist with this deck. They are not only pretty, but have a great vibe. The word “tasteful” comes to mind. I can’t think of anything quite like it. I have included a picture of couple of familiar ladies and the back. Smith’s distinctive initials that are tucked away all tiny in a corner of almost every card are great big on the backs. There is something self-consciously artistic and charming about them, now seen large and proud. Almost touching. This is HER commemorative edition, after all, so it’s a good reaction! I’m not sure how well it comes through, but the yellow backgrounds are very slightly mottled as opposed to the bright flat (some would say garish) color of the typical RWS deck. The printing process leaves visible lines to shade the skin—if you look very, very closely you can see it. Check out the closeup of Strength. At normal distances for reading or other work, you’re not going to notice. Overall, it adds to—indeed is—the authenticity, which is why you’re interested in this deck, right? There is seldom a great match in RWS decks with the busy details and colors (except for recolored decks done well) and the faithful reproduction does not help here with that, but I don’t see it as a problem. Nothing is obscured. The muted colors may be less of a distraction. A lot of other stuff comes with the attractively designed and strong double box. A nice see-through bag for example. Some have expressed doubt whether it will protect your cards. I have had the same kind of bag with another deck and it was great. Even if it’s just until you get a different bag, it’s nice. There’s a lovely book about Pixie herself. It and several additional non-tarot cards shows a sample of her less-familiar work. The other side of the box holds A.E. Waite’s familiar “Pictorial” Key to the Tarot without pictures. Imagine this was out for the first time! I think sometimes A.E.W. Is given too little credit, just as P.C.S. has been too little credit. His book isn’t bad, operating as he was under oaths of secrecy and apparently sometimes none too sure what Pixie had done with a few illustrations! This is a beautiful deck that belongs in the collection of every tarot fancier, especially those interested in the deck that seized the imagination of the English-speaking world and became simply “The Tarot” for countless students.