Rider-Waite-SMITH!

  Everyone who is even peripherally aware of the Tarot is likely familiar with the Rider-Waite deck, but a lot of folks don't know that this is properly called the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. Why is that, and who is this Smith person?

  The deck, which was originally published in 1909, was designed by A.E.Waite, who also wrote the book that goes with the deck. It was the first deck to give fully illustrated symbology to the entire Minor Arcana, and also the first deck to have a book dedicated specifically to it rather than using books about the Tarot in general. The deck was subsequently published by the Rider Publishing Company, hence the well known name "The Rider-Waite Tarot".

   But the illustrations for the deck, all of the beautiful images for both the Major and Minor Arcana, were drawn by a woman named Pamela Coleman Smith. It was her artistic vision that brought A.E. Waite's ideas to fantastic life, and her images have become the de facto standard for most all 'traditional' Tarot decks that followed.

  For such an important role in history, Pamela was left out of the original naming and crediting for the deck simply because it was not popular at the time to credit a woman for such work. Nowadays people are coming to understand the depth of her contribution to our art and giving her the rightful credit she deserves. So please, when you speak of this most marvelous of decks, remember to credit Pamela Smith. Our craft is better for her work!