Complete 78 card Traveller's Tarot Deck by A.E. Waite, and artist Pamela Coleman Smith. Contains 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana cards in the style of traditional Rider-Waite. 44 x 74 mm.
Contains a full deck of Rider Waite cards taken from the drawings of Pamela Colman Smith, who, in 1910, worked with Arthur Edward Waite (leading member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, along with Aleister Crowley) to create this 'rectified' tarot pack. 'Strength' and 'Justice' transposed the 8th and 9th Major Arcana cards.
Much of the success of this often reprinted tarot deck is down to the designs by the American artist, Smith, who grew up in Jamaica and went to London, where she became a member of the Order of the Golden Dawn.
The designs offer a continuous narrative through the sequence of cards in each of the four suits.
First traveller's-issue of 1975. "The original and only authorised edition of Tarot cards". Vintage deck of Rider & Company Tarot cards based at 3 Fitzroy Square, London, W1. Uncommon smaller than normal vintage tarot cards.
No copyright on cards. Original white cardboard box with blue lift off lid colour-printed; some acceptable scuffing/shelf wear on the outer box. Cards in very good+ condition.
Complete with original staple-bound 30-page printed leaflet of instructions printed by Dryden ltd., London.
First impression of the first edition thus.
Stuart R. Kaplan, Encyclopedia of Tarot, page 272.