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Difference between revisions of "Pamela Colman Smith"
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In 1899 her father died, leaving Smith at the age of 21 without either parent. She returned to England that year, continuing to work as an illustrator, and branching out into theatrical design for a miniature theatre. In London, she was taken under the wing of the Lyceum Theatre group led by Ellen Terry (who is said to have given her the nickname "Pixie"), Henry Irving, and Bram Stoker and traveled with them around the country, working on costumes and stage design. In 1901, she established a studio in London and held a weekly open house for artists, authors, actors, and others involved with the arts. Arthur Ransome, then in his early 20s, describes one of these "at home" evenings, and the curious artistic circle around Smith, in his 1907 Bohemia in London. | In 1899 her father died, leaving Smith at the age of 21 without either parent. She returned to England that year, continuing to work as an illustrator, and branching out into theatrical design for a miniature theatre. In London, she was taken under the wing of the Lyceum Theatre group led by Ellen Terry (who is said to have given her the nickname "Pixie"), Henry Irving, and Bram Stoker and traveled with them around the country, working on costumes and stage design. In 1901, she established a studio in London and held a weekly open house for artists, authors, actors, and others involved with the arts. Arthur Ransome, then in his early 20s, describes one of these "at home" evenings, and the curious artistic circle around Smith, in his 1907 Bohemia in London. | ||
Smith wrote and illustrated two books about Jamaican folklore: ''Annancy Stories'' (1899) and'' Chim-Chim, Folk Stories from Jamaica'' (1905). These books included Jamaican versions of tales involving the traditional African folk figure Anansi the Spider. She also continued her illustration work, taking on projects for William Butler Yeats and his brother, the painter Jack Yeats. She illustrated Bram Stoker's last novel, ''The Lair of the White Worm''. | Smith wrote and illustrated two books about Jamaican folklore: ''Annancy Stories'' (1899) and'' Chim-Chim, Folk Stories from Jamaica'' (1905). These books included Jamaican versions of tales involving the traditional [[African diaspora religion|African folk figure]] Anansi the Spider. She also continued her illustration work, taking on projects for [[W.B. Yeats|William Butler Yeats]] and his brother, the painter Jack Yeats. She illustrated Bram Stoker's last novel, ''The Lair of the White Worm''. | ||
===The Green Sheaf=== | ===''The Green Sheaf''=== | ||
In 1903, Smith launched her own magazine under the title The Green Sheaf, with contributions by Yeats, Christopher St John (Christabel Marshall), Cecil French, A. E. (George William Russell), Gordon Craig (Ellen Terry's son), Dorothy Ward, John Todhunter, and others. The Green Sheaf survived for a little over a year, a total of 13 issues. | In 1903, Smith launched her own magazine under the title ''The Green Sheaf'', with contributions by Yeats, Christopher St John (Christabel Marshall), Cecil French, A. E. (George William Russell), Gordon Craig (Ellen Terry's son), Dorothy Ward, John Todhunter, and others. The Green Sheaf survived for a little over a year, a total of 13 issues. | ||
Discouraged by The Green Sheaf's lack of financial success, Colman shifted her efforts towards setting up a small press in London. In 1904, she established The Green Sheaf Press which published a variety of novels, poems, fairy tales, and folktales until at least 1906, mostly by women writers.[10] | Discouraged by The Green Sheaf's lack of financial success, Colman shifted her efforts towards setting up a small press in London. In 1904, she established The Green Sheaf Press which published a variety of novels, poems, fairy tales, and folktales until at least 1906, mostly by women writers.[10] | ||
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The 78 illustrations that make up the [[Rider-Waite Tarot]] deck "represent archetypal subjects that each become a portal to an invisible realm of signs and symbols, believed to be channeled through processes of divination." They are original works of art and unique in terms of the cards' stylization, draftsmanship, and composition, which is a significant aesthetic achievement. They are one of the best examples of Smith's jaw-dropping imagination for fantasy, folly, ecstasy, death, and the macabre. | The 78 illustrations that make up the [[Rider-Waite Tarot]] deck "represent archetypal subjects that each become a portal to an invisible realm of signs and symbols, believed to be channeled through processes of divination." They are original works of art and unique in terms of the cards' stylization, draftsmanship, and composition, which is a significant aesthetic achievement. They are one of the best examples of Smith's jaw-dropping imagination for fantasy, folly, ecstasy, death, and the macabre. | ||
When Smith's tarot was first published by Rider, in England, in December 1909, it was simply called ''Tarot Cards'' and it was accompanied by Arthur Edward Waite's guide entitled ''[[The Key to the Tarot]]''. The following year Waite added Smith's black-and-white drawings to the book and published it as ''The Pictorial Key to the Tarot''. In 1971, U.S. Games bought the right to publish the deck and published it under the title The Rider Tarot Deck | When Smith's tarot was first published by Rider, in England, in December 1909, it was simply called ''Tarot Cards'' and it was accompanied by [[A.E. Waite|Arthur Edward Waite]]'s guide entitled ''[[The Key to the Tarot]]''. The following year Waite added Smith's black-and-white drawings to the book and published it as ''The Pictorial Key to the Tarot''. In 1971, U.S. Games bought the right to publish the deck and published it under the title The Rider Tarot Deck. | ||
In later editions they changed the name to Rider Tarot and then Rider Waite Tarot. Today most scholars, in order to recognize the importance of Smith's contribution, refer to the deck as the Waite–Smith Tarot. Tarot writers often refer to the deck with the simple abbreviation of RWS, for Rider–Waite–Smith. | |||
In the century since the deck's first printing, there have been dozens of editions put out by various publishers; for some of these the Smith drawings were redrawn by other artists, and for others the cards were rephotographed to create new printing plates. Many versions have been recolored as the coloration is rather harsh in the original deck, due to the limitations of color printing at the time. One example is the 1968 Albano-Waite tarot, which has brighter colors overlaid on the same pen-and-ink drawings. Some recent U.S. Games editions have removed Smith's hand-drawn titles for each card, substituting text in a standard typeface. Altogether, these decks encompass the full range from editions very closely based on the original printings to decks that can at most be termed 'inspired' by the Waite–Smith deck. | In the century since the deck's first printing, there have been dozens of editions put out by various publishers; for some of these the Smith drawings were redrawn by other artists, and for others the cards were rephotographed to create new printing plates. Many versions have been recolored as the coloration is rather harsh in the original deck, due to the limitations of color printing at the time. One example is the 1968 Albano-Waite tarot, which has brighter colors overlaid on the same pen-and-ink drawings. Some recent U.S. Games editions have removed Smith's hand-drawn titles for each card, substituting text in a standard typeface. Altogether, these decks encompass the full range from editions very closely based on the original printings to decks that can at most be termed 'inspired' by the Waite–Smith deck. | ||