The 1909 deck

The birth of a familiar deck

In 1909 the London publisher Rider released a deck that today is called the Rider–Waite deck, or RWS. The concept belonged to Arthur Edward Waite, a writer and scholar of mystical traditions, and the drawings were made by the artist Pamela Colman Smith.

Smith’s contribution stayed in the shadows for a long time, as Waite’s name was better known. Today her role is recognized far more widely, because it was her images that made the deck recognizable. Notice the outlined drawing and bright colors, which make the scenes clear at first glance.