Not the Classic I remember!

[stella01904]

MM ~ When I started reading as a teenager, I had two decks. One was the old RWS with the pink ankh design on the backs, and the other was a Marseilles-type deck called Tarot Classic, as I recall, it came it a boxed set with a book. These are long lost, but I have seen the Tarot Classic for sale during the 90's, just the deck and not the book. I was taking a trip down memory lane just now, and googled Tarot Classic, and got this: http://learntarot.com/cldesc.htm This is NOT the deck I remember! Mine looked like woodcuts (not a line drawing copy of a woodcut) and was mostly brown tones - not the prettiest thing in the world, but very grounding. What happened? BB, Stella

[Rusty Neon]

Stella,

Perhaps it's the 1JJ Swiss tarot deck that you remember:

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/1jj-swiss/

[stella01904]

MM ~ No, that's not it. This was a woodcut Marseilles like a Grimaud, but using different woodcuts, not like the Conver decks you see from different publishers, with different colors but essentially the same outlines. The face on the top figure of the Wheel, for example, was much shorter and broader-looking. The colors were mostly browns and the title was definitely "Tarot Classic". I'll continue looking for images. I'm surprised no one remembers it! There were only a few decks readily available in the 70's and this was one of them. BB, Stella

[Astraea]

Hi Stella. I have the Tarot Classic and did some research about it awhile back -- from what I remember, my research yielded the information that what is sold today by US Games as the Tarot Classic is indeed a drawn rendition of woodcuts whose original creator is unknown, but was probably Claude Burdel. I don't remember ever seeing photoreproductions of genuine woodblocks by Claude Burdel, and I think I read that they no longer exist.

The Tarot of Marseilles Convos, published by AG Muller, was also drawn following a woodblock pattern and features colors that are warmer and more brown than the Tarot Classic. Here is a link to some scans of the Convos: http://www.astroamerica.com/t-marsc.html

The Tarot Classic is a Swiss-style (Schaffhouse) deck. The Tarot Marsiglia is a photoreproduction of a woodblock Swiss-style deck, published by Il Meneghello, and that might be a deck you'd like.

[Astraea]

Here are some scans of the Tarot Marsiglia: http://www.themysticeye.com/pics/marsig.htm

[stella01904]

MM ~ My wishlist grows impossibly long...I especially like the Marsiglia, tell me, is it uncoated? But none of these are "it", alas, surely someone here remembers a brown Marseilles called Tarot Classic? BB, Stella

[Astraea]

I'd like to know what that deck is, too! The only Tarot Classic my searches have turned up is the US Games pack.

The Marsiglia is lightly coated and the card stock is of medium weight. It's a beautiful deck.

[Cerulean]

http://www.tarotpassages.com/angel5.jpg

This combines Swiss-style and the modernized earth tones--this is probably too cute to some.I like it as a sweet flavor, but I'm silly in my reproductions.

Do you remember if it was two-tone, say beige and sepia, not colored with inks at all? The older backs, according to Lee Bursten's review, seem very brown. Mine has a different back, though.

Regards

Cerulean

[Lee]

Hi Cerulean, the Angel Tarot deck back shown in my review isn't correct, that was a mistake by the then-site-owner. The back on my deck is brown and red tarotee, probably the same as yours. You can see it in the Browse Decks page for that deck on Joan Bunning's learntarot.com site (I don't know if we're allowed to post a link).

-- Lee

[stella01904]

Originally Posted by Cerulean

http://www.tarotpassages.com/angel5.jpg
Do you remember if it was two-tone, say beige and sepia, not colored with inks at all?

MM ~ The dominant color was brown, I think there were some flesh tones and yellows or beiges. The backs were the traditional crisscross. The coloring of the Angel Tarot is very similar. (That Devil looks like a character from a Betty Boop cartoon! I like the cuteness. It's strange.) BB, Stella