U.S. Games Systems Announces the Publication of a New Book
Pamela Colman Smith: The Untold Story
STAMFORD, Connecticut, July 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- To mark the 140th anniversary of the birth of Pamela Colman Smith, the artist who designed the Rider-Waite Tarot deck, U.S. Games Systems, Stamford CT, has published Pamela Colman Smith: The Untold Story. This magnificent 440-page lavishly illustrated hardcover book celebrates the fascinating life and accomplishments of Smith. Known primarily for painting the beloved Rider-Waite Tarot deck, Smith was also a stage and costume designer, folklorist, poet, author, illustrator, suffragette, and publisher.
Born in London in 1878 to American parents, Smith spent her early years in Jamaica and New York. After studying at the Pratt Institute, she moved to London, travelling throughout Europe designing theater costumes for some of the most famous actors of the day. In 1907, she was the first non-photographic artist to be exhibited by Alfred Stieglitz at his Photo-Secession Gallery in New York, where she received rave reviews for her paintings based upon classical music.
This ambitious book brings together the work of four distinguished scholars who have devoted years of research to uncover the life and artistic accomplishments of Pamela Colman Smith. Stuart R. Kaplan provides a chronological visual survey of Pamela's art and publications. Elizabeth O'Connor presents a richly illustrated biography of Pamela's fascinating life. An essay by Melinda Boyd Parsons examines the events and people that influenced Smith's work. Tarot researcher Mary Greer explores Pamela's lasting legacy in the world of tarot and popular culture.
The exhaustively researched book includes over 400 images of Pamela's artwork from the private collection of Stuart R. Kaplan, with additional rare archival materials from several leading museums and libraries. The book includes an extensive bibliography and index. Pamela Colman Smith: The Untold Story is the most comprehensive collection of works by and about Pamela Colman Smith published to date.
Publishers Weekly declared "This swank illustrated biography commemorates the 140th anniversary of the birth of Pamela Colman Smith (1878–1951), a British-American artist best known as the illustrator of the Rider-Waite tarot deck. Beautiful reproductions of Smith's work in bold saturated colors fill nearly every page of the book and are accentuated by archival material including photos of her miniature theater performances and pages from her journals and sketchbooks. Together, the text and illustrations make for a stimulating entryway into the imaginative world of a nearly forgotten illustrator." (July 2018)
Kirkus Review described the book as "A lovingly compiled art book, full of wondrous images" and pointed out that "The Rider-Waite tarot illustrations get their proper due, of course, but the book also succeeds in revealing Smith as an artist of larger significance. The artwork itself is beautifully rendered throughout, with many full-page, full-color prints for readers to explore. Tarot devotees will find much to appreciate, but so will fans of more famous illustrators, such as Howard Pyle, Arthur Rackham, and Maxfield Parrish. This work will hopefully help raise Smith's profile as a true treasure of turn-of-the-century art." (July 2018)
For further information please contact:
Lynn Araujo
Director of Communications
U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
Stamford, CT 06902
203 353 8400 X322
Share this article