A question for the RWS historians...

Elizabeth Genco

Greetings, lovely Tarot folk -

Here's a question for those who know the publication history of the RWS: When was the first edition of both the Waite book AND deck published?

I think each were published separately before they were published together, no? (I want to say that the book came out a year after the deck was published for the first time.)

I'd like to know the first time they were put together as a set. (Any info on the edition would be welcome, too.)

If there's an online reference for such historical deets of the RWS, I would love to know!

thank you kindly,
Elizabeth
 

firecatpickles

Isn't it 1910?
 

roppo

I believe the first series of RWS decks was printed by Sprague & Co by December 1909. The Key to the Tarot was published in 1909 though there was the date 1910 in the book (info from Gilbert's Waite bibliograpy). Sir Ralph Shirley wrote in the "Notes of the month" of The Occult Review December 1909 that they were to be sold as a set : and the reference about the setting appeared in the adverts in the back cover of The Occult Review April 1910.

http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~elfindog/ocrvRWSads.htm

my article, FYI.
 

Rosanne

Apparently shortly before Christmas in 1909 and shortly after an article by Arthur Edward Waite The Tarot- A Wheel of Fortune.

There were apparently two choices - the Deck or Deck and hardcover book by Waite called The Key to The Tarot, Being the Fragment of a Secret Tradition Under The Veil.
The book was dated 1910 but reached the market in 1909. The Book/Deck set cost 7 Shillings and some pence from memory.

This information is from the book by Frank Jensen called The Story of the Waite Smith Tarot

~Rosanne
Hi roppo- we posted at the same time.
 

Kosmoran

Rosanne said:
Apparently shortly before Christmas in 1909 and shortly after an article by Arthur Edward Waite The Tarot- A Wheel of Fortune.

Do you know where we could find that article?
 

Rosanne

Hi!
The article appeared in 1910 in The Occult Review . This was a monthly Magazine produced by William Rider & Son Ltd.
I am led to believe that the article (magazine) is in the collection of Holly Voley who has a website. I do not think I have read the article- but I may have some five years ago perhaps.

~Rosanne
 

Kosmoran

Great, I'll try to find it. I'll let you people know if I find it ;)
 

Rosanne

That is good Kosmoran! Have you noticed there is a discrepancy between so called dates of 1909 and 1910? If the the article came out before the deck and the deck came out in 1909- then the magazine should not be 1910, one would think. :D Seems as if the publications got befive hand around Christmas 1909.
~Rosanne
 

Kosmoran

Yeah, I have noticed that the dates vary a bit, from person to person. Some say the RWS was first published on Nov. or Dec. 1909, others place the first publication date on early 1910 - or even dec. 1910. The late 1909 theory seems to be the most accepted, though.