Article on tarot history

[Debra]

I just started a thread in Talking Tarot about an article in the online magazine Collectors Weekly about Tarot about "the surprising origins of the world's most misunderstood cards."

The article covers a range of topics, including tarot history, based on interviews with Caitlin Matthews and Bill Wolf, who is OnePotato on the forum. I thought history forum readers might be interested in the history part

The article is here: http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/the-surprising-origins-of-tarot-most-misunderstood-cards/

There are great photos of some old decks in the article and a photo gallery at the end.

 

[ravenest]

I wish they had expanded on Mamluk use of their cards and the incorporation of Trumps more (which, I think) is a very significant part of Tarot history.

 

[rivergum]

Great article and lovely photos of historic decks I've never seen. Thanks Debra.

 

[Abrac]

Nice article and pics Debra.

At the bottom of the page I noticed links to some other interesting articles as well.

 

[Huck]

A quote from this text:

The illustration on some decks did double duty, providing divinatory tools and scientific knowledge, like the Geografia Lenormand deck from around 1725. “The Geografia are extraordinary cards, almost like a little encyclopedia of the world with the oracle imagery peeking out at the top,” Matthews says. “The actual bit that you read from is just a cigarette-card length. So for example, the hanged man just shows his legs at the top of the card, while the rest of the card has information about Africa or Asia or other places on it.”

Madame Lenormand even wasn't born in 1725, but it seems, that her spirit was already present, otherwise the Geografia Lenormand deck couldn't exist.

Well, some read in cards and others in numbers. "Per definition" the funny humble Tarot design at the top is declared as "oracle imagery". Actually it's just a Tarocchi to spread a little knowledge about geography, possibly made for school children.
But no, it must naturally be the great aim to teach divinatory practice, otherwise the world wouldn't be mysterious enough.

And the name "Lenormand" again is used to increase the sale numbers.

 

[Debra]

Yes, Bill told me he doubts those particular cards were intended for divination.

 

[OnePotato]

A quote from this text:
"The illustration on some decks did double duty, providing divinatory tools and scientific knowledge, like the Geografia Lenormand deck from around 1725. “The Geografia are extraordinary cards, almost like a little encyclopedia of the world with the oracle imagery peeking out at the top,” Matthews says. “The actual bit that you read from is just a cigarette-card length. So for example, the hanged man just shows his legs at the top of the card, while the rest of the card has information about Africa or Asia or other places on it.”

Madame Lenormand even wasn't born in 1725, but it seems, that her spirit was already present, otherwise the Geografia Lenormand deck couldn't exist.

Well, some read in cards and others in numbers. "Per definition" the funny humble Tarot design at the top is declared as "oracle imagery". Actually it's just a Tarocchi to spread a little knowledge about geography, possibly made for school children.
But no, it must naturally be the great aim to teach divinatory practice, otherwise the world wouldn't be mysterious enough.

And the name "Lenormand" again is used to increase the sale numbers.

Yes, Bill told me he doubts those particular cards were intended for divination.

Yes, that "Geographia Lenormand" was a typo that has been corrected.
It also seems to me that the author may have confused something Caitlin Matthews said about how the repro of the deck is viewed by modern card readers, as opposed to its designer's original intent. The upper portion of the cards includes abbreviated standard tarocchi trump imagery, with the rest of the card devoted to geographic info.

Of course, this deck was likely made to celebrate the Age of Discovery, and would not have been seen as the schoolboy work that some may see it as today. The great mysteries of the world were revealing themselves to the explorers who dared to travel beyond the borders of their familiar land, and young and old alike were amazed by what they found.

I'm sorry for the confusion, Mr Huck.

Anyway, thank you everyone else for commenting.
I'm glad you liked it!