Le musée des sorciers, mages et alchimistes

Cerulean said:

In your opinions, is it like the standard general books which gives a Victorian or mysterious occultish slant to tarot? The Occult Encyclopedia of the 1920s with Eudes Picard meanings and the 1930's Manly P. Hall texts sometimes give one a feel of "woo-woo--high magic" that was okay for then...other people's interest in it makes me curious about opinions.

Cerulean

Click to expand...

No, not all all -- it seems like a very scholarly work: it's purpose is to provide an historical iconographical museum -- the article on tarot (I read it in the store) reads very much like the stuff in our history section. I was amazed really, how right he got everything - I thought our research was all new...

Thanks for the opinion...I'll look for editions w/10 colored plates

There are 1950's University Books American (English) editions, but I am inquiring if they have the colored plates of the 1931 British editions.

For some reason, I found the Dover Books reprint of the 1931 not so interesting--I'll look again when I'm browsing.

Thanks again for so many illuminating posts of great finds! And Roppo, and others, if you would accept an English edition with colored plates, I'll report back
if the University Books edition (which is under $60 and first American reprint) also yields what you are looking for...my 1959 University Books edition of the Pictorial Key to the Tarot had the first 'accurate color tones' color printing for the Rider Waite.

Cerulean

ON your book search as well as on all the searches I did, it seems the Veyrier edition (that is what came up so cheaply on your french book search) is cheaper than the Tchou edition for some reason. And the price for the Tchou edition came up on your search as 40+ dollars - except I'd have to add the cost of shipping from France. So it does come out to about $60.00.

Yeah, the cheap (12.00) one is the Veyrier edition - a pocket size. Just checked it out. The Black Oak Books one is listed on those searches too - it seems it costs more for the hard cover... it seems they know exactly what it is worth and charge not one penny less,

Thank you so much, Firemaiden and others!

Now I know what to look for, both in English and French editions.

I appreciate the illuminating and charming posts on original books and translations. Looks like I'm looking for an early 1931 translation into English with 10 colored plates...and I can now also post a 'want' on abebooks.com with better understanding of what published editions will work better for my curiousity.

Cerulean

Good Morning Firemaiden, Cerulean and friends.

A good(?) news from Japan. The new Japanese edition was published in 1986 from Hosei University Press. It's a high-quality hard cover with ten colored plates, translated from French first edition. Seems good but costs 5,000yen, still on print.

ranting about amazon.de

I don't understand why the English paperback edition of this book do not sell at amazon.de, only older English editions at ridiculous high prizes *rant*

how strange. Perhaps they have it listed under a different title? There have been various versions of the title.

I was so lucky to find this book at a second hand bookstore a few weeks ago! It's a black and white hardcoverversion of 1973. It did not dissapear on my shelve but I have been reading it eversince. I did not yet reach the chapter on the tarot but am looking forward to it.

It's a very pleasent read and would have been better if it had color plates.
Good luck with your search of the original version and let us know when you find it!

Bram

I found a review on amazon that I agree with.
I am reading this book now:


1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Almost 5...Almost, June 28, 2005
Reviewer: Henry L. Weiner "SilverRain" (Wallingford, PA) - See all my reviews

I feel no need to present the obvious beneficial aspects of this book. They have been stated by many reviewers already. I agree that this book is an amazing piece of literature, and should be in any occult library. The myriad of information is astonishing, and the presentation is fantastic. However where my review differs is the comments on the pictures in this book. Yes, there are many amazing pictures, and yes, it really does help to have a visual representation and aid. Regardless, he puts way too much faith into the artists of the time periods. On page 55, he states "Even if all these works were lacking, however, it would be easy to reconstruct what passed at the assemblies of sorcerers from the numerous engravings which the artists of the period took such pains to leave for our benefit." I believe my problem with this statement is clear-just because an artist depicts something, doesn't mean it is factual. The artists, for the most part, were heavily influenced by the Christian dogma; therefore their art would reflect this, especially if it was commissioned by the Church. True, the art of a time period reflects the religion and the cultural rights and wrongs, but it also shows the fears and many times, the misconceptions. I am not trying to undermine any of the artwork, but I think my point is fair. Nevertheless, the book is great!

----------