Dates for the De Laurence Variants

Bansuri93

Debra said:
The remains of the box for the Orange deck.

Here's Holly Voley's info--see first paragraph here:
http://home.comcast.net/~vilex/index.html

And three pages about the de Laurence decks:
http://home.comcast.net/~vilex/Adverts.html

Thanks for sharing your box, Debra. It is identical to mine, which is in equally rough shape. The pages you linked from Holly's site are the ones where I saw the oft-repeated dates of 1916-1918, 1960, and 1980. (Incidentally, you can view the images from the three pages about the De Laurence decks by viewing the page source and copy/pasting the img src into the browser.)
 

Debra

I'm really glad you started this thread, Bansuri93. It never occurred to me to question the 1960 date for the orange deck, or why there was such a big time lag between the different versions. Very interesting!
 

Teheuti

In early 1968, soon after being introduced to Tarot through Eden Gray's The Tarot Revealed, I finally (after much search) found a metaphysical bookstore in Tampa FL and bought two RWS decks: One was a De Laurence deck (can't remember the color) that I bought for a friend, and the other was a University Books edition for myself. (Sure wish I now had the De Laurence deck!)

So, the decks were still being sold, in new condition, in 1968.
 

gregory

I have a red; I'll scan the box later. I was told by someone it was 1914, but never believed it....

ETA here it is. Interestingly - the address is different from debra's, and - critically for dating - has a zip code - but it is otherwise identical.

No date; top has fallen off recently, I note (must look for that!) but used to have a handwritten inscription: Delaurence Tarot ! No printing anywhere else on the otherwise intact box.
 

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Cerulean

Interesting about the zip code on your box--five digits.

The box part likely was printed somewhere between the mid-1940's-1960s whenever the 'three-to-five' digit zip was finally used--which was likely after 1963? I do know five digit zip codes were around in the 1960's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZIP_code

Best and interested in hearing what people find.

Cerulean
 

Bansuri93

Thanks, Gregory and Teheuti.

The Wabash Avenue address is on the red deck box only [it also appeared on the an orange deck variant, according to Frank Jensen--see edit2 note below]. We know that's the later (post c1958) address. Cerulean, you're right that the five digit system was started in 1963.

From my initial assumption earlier--that the De Laurence advertisement in 1931 specifying "double headed" cards in "five oriental colors" indicated that they were selling an entirely different deck during that time period--I think we can guess that somewhere in the 1930s was a time between printings. I think we can reasonably guess:

* The yellow deck / plain back variant is from 1916-1918
* The yellow deck / printed back is from 1918-(before c1931)
* The orange deck / printed back is from (after c1931)-(before c1963)
* The red deck / printed back is from (after c1963)-(before c1980)

From Teheuti's statement, we know that the De Laurence decks remained on sale at least until the superior University Books version came on the market.

[EDIT: Added "before c1980" for the red deck -- thanks Gregory!]
[EDIT2: Adjusted dating of orange deck. Thanks for the notes from the 'Story of the Waite-Smith Tarot' book, Cerulean!]
 

gregory

Red was definitely pre 1980 as I bought mine second hand - already well used - that year.
 

Debra

I'd be nice if the orange one was born before I was. :p
 

gregory

Well when was you ?

Trust me to have the only on that was certainly born after I was...

BTW I just looked at your profile :bugeyed: You are Much Changed from when I last saw you....