It is really good to see an actual copy of this deck. I has thought from the promotional images that this would not be a true reproduction of the 1909 Roses and Lilies, but rather Lo Scarabeo’s photoshopped Pam B that made its first appearance in the last wheatsheaf box... the one after the Dirty Pam. Pierrot Alligo, the founder of Lo Scarabeo is quite convinced that Pam B is the original deck. He is wrong, but he lays out his reasoning very carefully in a chapter of “Twenty Years of Tarot: The Lo Scarabeo Story” in case anyone is interested in reading it. That’s probably why this deck is called “The Original 1909.” I would love to see you do a side by side of this deck and the last wheatsheaf, Simon. I’m very sure the images on the fronts and backs will be identical, but I am interested to know if the card stock differs.
Brilliant and honest review. After watching a ton of videos across the you tube community I finally settled on the Centennial and it’s on its way! I am so grateful for the time and effort you and others put into sharing your knowledge and insights. Thank you so much Simon and the tarot community.
This is why Im picky about some decks. To a beginner that doesnt know any better, colours are very important when connecting to the symbolism. As nice as the Radiant and other offshoots are, they can confuse beginners by taking license with colours. Like the blue being absent in the Fool in this one as you mentioned. I know this might seem like a silly little thing, as those of us familiar know what the originals look like. Theres nothing wrong with having decks for reference and study though, so they all have their place. Im still stuck on my Universal and Centennial. They are my faves. Thanks again for showing us these vids. They can make deciding to buy much easier. Wish we had resources like this back in the 80s : )
Very often with Lo Scarabeo, or some of the huge international publishing houses - I get the feeling that the people in these organizations who are the designers are perhaps employed artists or marketing executives. So sometimes feel like there is this ... disconnect ... between the publishers and people who actually use tarot. Just a thought. Thanks for sharing Simon. :-)
Do the publishing companies NOT have access to RU-vid and the customers that actually use their decks? The Radiant Wise is a beautifully colored Pam B...but no one wants the gloss, and many would prefer borders. Just rework it! How difficult is that...when sales would clearly go up? It would be an instant classic/staple like the Centennial is for USG. Tarot readers literally spell out for them what would sell. Whose in charge of marketing at these big publishing houses? Very frustrating. 😖
I fully agree with your opinion. It seems that there is a gap between the publishers and the knowledge necessary to design a new tarot, although containing the old traditional theme. It would be necessary to combine abstraction and serious knowledge with the product to be published. It is a pity that these premises are not taken into account! Thus, they ended up launching a 1909 Tarot, however, with the same back as the Pamela Colman Smith Tarot, although both being from the same publisher. It lacked creativity, innovation and logic - why launching a Tarot where only the casing is different?
Thankyou for this comparison video!! I totally agree with you, the original version is very different and the color is really important! However because im really sensitive to colors, all the other versions always feel really intense to me! The ones that are ‘not intense’ tense to be too dull and colorless! Ive been looking for a version that makes me feel at ease and the most comfortable with and I decided that Lo Scarabeo’s new deck would be the best choice! Its definitely not perfect but its closest to what im looking for so im glad to have it! Im not sure if i like the blue color back of the original one, if only the blue tone was more gentle i wouldve loved it! I personally think the red & black color back looks alot better however i wish they would only change the color and keep the original image of the back!
Don't know if there is any chance you will see this comment at this late date but the book and deck set of the 1909 Lo Scarabeo that comes in the large, linen finish magnetic box is printed on a significantly thicker, better and slightly less glossy card stock than the "deck only" version in this video. Not sure why they would do that but they did (at least the ones being sold here in the US). I buy every version of the RWS I can get my hands on and for whatever reason this version is my favorite and was the moment I took it out of the box and looked at it. I am pretty sure it is a scan of a Pam B since the OS line is missing on the sun as are the highlights in the flag banner and sunflower seeds. The Magician's hair is also "stuck together" on the bottom right hand side as in the Pam B. Whatever it is, this version thrills me to death for some reason. Perhaps it is the slightly green hues that the blue colors have in this version or the slightly more slender size of the deck. I don't know why, but this version has become my go to RWS. Love your channel and thank you for all your great videos. Hope you are feeling better.
I bought the book set as well (in the UK) and to my disappointment, while the card stock is thicker and much more white, it’s super glossy and I’m not a huge fan. If I knew, I’d have just gotten the hardcover book separately. However, I’ve been using the deck only version of it more than I’ve used any other deck. I just love the slender card size!
I'm sorry to hear you are disappointed with the Lo Scarabeo's Version of 1909 RWS, Simon! And I can see why! But nevertheless I so enjoyed seeing this video and geeking out on RWS a little bit! I agree with you on Centennial being probably the best of the most affordable and accessible RWS! I bought my first copy of it in a tin in 2015, and it has been my most used RWS, it travelled to many countries, yet it is still in mint condition! Thank you for this share!
Thank you for sharing Simon. It’s so interesting all the nuances to consider. I love the Centennial color and quality. Recently picked up the Marseille de Waite tarot and I’m completely happy with its quality. Thanks for showing me that one for sure.
Oh! The font on these cards is the font that is on Pam B. It was redrawn and differs slightly from Roses and Lilies, Pam A and Pam D. It Looks like Lo Scarabeo changed the size a bit, though, so that the font fields would all be filled to the same extent. It makes short titles like Strength super chunky.
i am so not sure to say what i believe but the one of me says that i love the smell of this deck, it is so soft, actually maybe one of the softest decks, so easy to shuffle and riffle, i think it has magic powers, it talks. Everything is easy about this one. after i do a reading with the 1909, and i miss another deck, and i get it in my hands, whatever deck, it seems fake! maybe its a phase i am going through ,maybe it is so simple compared to the other decks that its actually all i really need from a deck. It is light airy, no masks!!! strange...Also after i got this one, i stopped ordering other decks. i hope i get better...
Thanks for this review! Totally agree with you, it's disappointing and rather frustrating. You mentioned that you did a walkthrough of the RWS Pamela Colman Smith's tarot deck but I can't find it (I checked the quaranstream videos as well, maybe I missed it...)... I'd really like to watch it. Thanks again!
I don’t like it 😕 it’s a NO from me. I was really hoping it would be something special. Thanks for doing the walkthrough so I could get a look. I appreciate it. I hope you’re doing well. Sending you heaps of love and light your way ❤️😘
Thank you Simon so much , it’s really important to have your thoughts before I buy new deck , bes now I have so many in my collection so I’m being very picky at this point 👍🏼
Luv me some/ANY, RWS... enjoyed video. Thx. ❤️ that coloring on backing though... Roses and Lillies would have been a bit cooler, indeed. You know your decks Man!!!
Based on the scans available online this deck looks like Pam B or C. Definitely not like 1909 or 1910. The US Games Centennial does look like Pam 1909 or 1910. Edit: Some of the images are also stretched at the bottom or top.
I could be mistaken but this deck is called the 1909, but is in fact based on the Pam B and is a continuation of the Wheat Sheath (sheaf?) Lo Scarabeo deck that came AFTER dirty pam.
@@ThatOneLazyNerd They don’t, per se. It’s all public domain now. But Pietro swears it is the most authentic deck...so that’s the preferred one for his company.
@@melissazupan6026 So then this one IS the continuation of the wheat sheath then. Yeah it definitely looked like the B. The backs gave it away tho. But wasnt the B the LAST Pam release? How is that the most "authentic"? And didnt the B come out in the 40s? 🤣 Marketing LIIIIEEES!
LOL, Pietro wrote a whole essay on why he thinks B is the true OG. Maybe when I get some time I'll try to summarize his position, claims, and evidence a bit. If you're only looking at a handful of decks, I can kind of see why you might assume B would be a poor quality prototype that would have to be recalled. But when you acquire a larger amount of decks to compare, it becomes easier to see that no A exists with original Keys that were printed in the 30s and no B exists with any original information from 1910.
Hi Simon. This looks to be a Pam B doesn’t it? The thicker lines and the pouty fool. I was so interested to see this. Thanks for showing us 🙂 This is disappointing.. I think they’ve been a bit naughty calling it original 1909 really.. Centennial is much nicer in line work and colour!
I guess those who set out to buy all versions have the right to complain, but for folks like me, who just want to find one version to bond with, the more, the better! :D I'm looking forward to some of the vintage-y looking ones coming out this year. This one is a miss for me, but that's not surprising XD
Hello Simon I agree with Lazy Genius and Astral Lady, Pam B, I think Lo Scarabeo just repackaged the third version of Pam’s RWS Tarot, changed the colors a little and put it in a new box. I compared The 1909 Art Restoration Deck with scans of one the 5 original decks and they match, C of London did a good job on them.
Well, at least now we know. So many tarot decks out there now. I am taking my sweet time creating each card and yes every one of them drawn and then painted by hand. You make your videos so well and make it look so easy.
Anyone can tell me what rws deck is the least glossy? I like the centennial coloration and the borderless edition because I don't love borders but I cannot deal with the gloss. I need a rws study deck that isn't glossy 😭
@Gala I purchased a deck off of Amazon from a company called Miriyan. The card feels like linen and the finish has the slightest sheen under light. It's as matte as I've found. It's not borderless. Coloring is almost exactly like the deck Simon just showed with greeny aqua instead of blues. There's a review on RU-vid, which is what I watched prior to purchasing, if you were interested.
I feel the same way you do, a little let down by this deck. I wanted an exact replica of the original deck shown on the museum website including the fabulous papery non laminated stock preferably in it's signature red box with a tissue paper wrapped book. I really didn't expect the box, but why not create a museum replica, I would pay a lot for a serious reproduction. I was just about to pre-order this deck and I don't think I will now. I love your videos, they help keep me out of debt LOL as I only buy decks I've previewed.
I could hear the disappointment in your voice as soon as you saw the card backs. I am not keen on the colouring of this one, I am glad I removed it from my wishlist 😊 thank you for your honest opinion of this deck my friend 😍❤️
I use Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot deck daily, now I'm waiting patiently for Amazon to ship "Tarot Vintage" you did the review on recently. I can't wait to bond with them! Other than that, I use my other beautiful decks as well for myself. 🥰🃏❤🖤
