c.1909-40 Rider-Smith-Waite Tarot, "Pam B", 22 Major Arcana
Printed by Rider & Co.
Designed by A. E. Waite
Illustrated by Pamela Coleman-Smith
Booklet by Arthur Edward (A.E.) Waite
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Deck: The Rider Tarot Deck, "Pam-B"
Description:
Early Rider-Waite tarot, with only the 22 Major Arcana present.
The tarot deck was designed by Arthur Edward Waite and drawn by Pamela Coleman Smith. The deck was first published in 1909 by Rider & Co. London. As Saskia Jansen writes, "After the first edition of the Rider-Waite tarot in 1909 [commonly referred to as the Roses & Lilies edition], four further editions were published until approx 1940. These versions differ in several details: outline artwork, colours, lettering, card thickness, the box and the accompanying book. The letters A, B, C and D were given at random and do not refer to the order of publication of the packs." For further information about how to identify the editions, visit The World of Playing Cards website (info and link below).
The 22 Major Arcana for sale here are from a "Pam-B" deck. There are various theories about its timing and release (see references below), but it is most commonly dated as c.1931-40 edition, following K. Frank Jensen's timeline, which is the most widely accepted.
A more contentious timeline is that of Pietro Alligo (aka Lo Scarabeo). For Alligo, the "Pam-B" (not the Rose & Lillies edition) is the original or 1st edition of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, which he believes was printed (but not released) in 1909.
Deck Identifiers:
· Borders: thick black line
· Reverses: brown crackle back
· Paper: solid pasteboard cardstock
· Titles: English
· Style: Waite-Smith, Alchemical
Edition "Pam-B" Identifiers:
· Arcanum XIX The Sun: with no "squiggly" line at top of the sun
· Arcanum VI The Lovers: Angel without eyeshadow
· Skin tone created with dots, not lines
· Line art, same as "Pam-C", except for The Sun card.
CONDITION:
Very good condition overall, with some edge wear and some very minor
foxing along the edges, as well as a few issues. The Fool and Magician
have a chip/lack on the back of the cards, and Death has an issue to the
top left. On the front of the Death card, the damage is visible as some
creasing, and on the back, there is chipping. The Magician also has a small
stain on the right top border.
Card Measurement: 11.9 cm x 7.1 cm
Alligo, Pietro. “Waite-Smith: The First Edition,” Twenty Years of the Tarot: The Lo Scarabeo Story. Torino: Lo Scarabeo, 2007. P.37-48
Jansen, Saskia. “Rider Waite Tarot early editions,” The World of Playing Cards, The World of Playing Cards, September 08, 2013 [Updated August 02, 2023]. https://www.wopc.co.uk/tarot/rider-waite/rider-waite-early-editions
Jensen, K. Frank . "Early Rider Editions," Manteia Courier, 1998-99
Jensen, K. Frank. “The Early Waite-Smith Tarot Editions: New Discoveries,” Arnell’s Art, 2008, https://www.arnellart.com/manteia/waite-smith/alligo-cts.htm