1987 Albano-Waite

Greetings All,

I finally recieved a deck that I have wanted for many many years. I cannot say how many auctions I have lost for a copy of this deck by Frankie Albano or US Games. I guess I became fascinated by it when I bought a Eden Gray book titled 'The Tarot Revealed' from a used paperback bookstore around 1984-85. FWIW, a great classic read.

http://www.amazon.com/Tarot-Revealed-Modern-Guide-Reading/dp/0451072057/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249605647&sr=1-4

I'm glad I got it because I feel it has helped me reconnect to the deck that I originally loved. I wonder if Frankie Albano was or is a guy? I say this because us blokes care less about how colours contrast than women. I love all the colouring in this deck and I can actually see more detail in this one than the other versions. Can I call this a blokes deck lol...? For example in the 'six of Cups' you can clearly see a gentleman walking back up to the house:

http://www.albideuter.de/html/albano-waite_41.html

BTW, my deck is coloured much better than this scan. Mine is deeper blue.

This deck has the oddest lamination, looks and feels almost like wax...weird 60's- 70's flashcard / old maid feel, but good. A few of the cards are slightly off center...I don't mind...gives it character. I believe the colouring is darker from later editions by US Games that I have seen.

Le Fanu is correct in his judgement that this deck is worth seeking out.

Freddie

PS: Hollys' Rider Waite website is a great place to research the Waite-Colman versions!! I don't know if she lurks around here, but a thank you from me to her.

I agree Freddie, this is really the only of the Waite style decks I actually like. The printed in Belgium edition has got the most wonderful card stock and the colouring in mine is deep and rich. It's a deck that always brings a smile to my face, even though I don't use it much.

It has a cool flower power feeling to it..surreal

freddie

Glad to hear you found one Freddie. I finally located one myself and I should have it next week. I'm keeping my fingers crossed till it gets here. I'm always nervous when I buy something online.

Freddie said:

I say this because us blokes care less about how colours contrast than women.

Click to expand...

I don't really know for sure but I thing Albano was a guy. That's what I've always heard anyway.

As far as color contrast, I think he had plenty of chemical inspiration to make up for his maleness.

Congratulations! Glad you found one.

Mine is a 1987 copy which I got thanks to Manda and it really is one which I always have at hand. It really is one of those decks you can always depend on and never get tired of. A real faithful fave. I love it still...

Sigh. The ORIGINAL Albano-Waite (NOT USG) from 1968 is so much nicer. And the Sun is round. WHY USG saw fit to distort the cards to make them standard size I'll never know.... In the original they are that fraction squarer.

Frankie is (was ?) a man, according to Holly Voley, and I would LOVE to know what happened to him....

Now that Gregory said it I can add my two cents
I really did not want to be the first to disturb the party.
But indeed the 1987 edition, though nice, is far from the 1968 edition!

First the line drawings are not so clear.
Second the color are quite muted compared to the original and there is like a veil on the whole image.
Of course, I understand how funny it sounds speaking of muted colors with the Albano deck

But judge for yourself with this scan:
Left is the Tarot Production edition from 1968, right the US Games Fac Simile reprint from 1987.

What I love in the 1987 edition are the two additional cards

Best regards

Yeah - the review I read here says the original is like RWS on acid !

The Tarot Productions version (from Frankie Albano) also seem

curious period because the coloring of an early period Hair album mimics the coloring of the green and red robust and eye-popping colors that you see in the Lovers card poster that comes with the original score.

I still like the U.S. Games reproduction of the "Tarot Productions circa 1968-70" version, though, especially in the mini-Waite small size--very handy!

Cerulean

Appreciate the picture coredil. It does seem that a lot of saturation got lost along the way, on that particular card at least. I actually like the muted tones so long as they're not too muted. It's hard to get a good overall impression from one card.

I've seen several different copies of the original, and while the colors are strong for sure, they too have drawbacks. Very often there is bleeding of colors. The stock is very flimsy and the edges of the cards have little bumps like they were punched out of a larger sheet. I didn't especially care for the finish, it's sort of a shiny plastic kinda like Modiano's decks.

Anyway, the Belgium version couldn't be much worse than the Italian one.