Pamela Colman Smith

Pamela Colman SmithOn this day in 1878, the great illustrator Pamela Colman Smith was born. She was closely associated with photographer Alfred Stieglitz who felt her work had a synaesthetic (multi-sensory) sensibility. She was also friends with poet William Butler Yeats, for whom she illustrated some books. But she is best know for the Waite-Smith tarot cards. Arthur Edward Waite wrote the booklet that went along with the cards, but the cards themselves are all Smith’s. You have doubtless seen them. Pretty much all tarot cards either use her designs, or are recreations of her designs. I remember them from my childhood. (Because I was raised by Satanists!) They are wonderful. Here are some samples:

Tarot Cards

Happy birthday Pamela Colman Smith!


I’m feeling very tired, so I’ve just recycled this text from last year’s birthday post.

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