If you’ve ever seen a tarot deck, chances are it was the Rider–Waite–Smith (RWS) — the deck that has shaped the world’s image of tarot for over a century.
Three names
- Rider: the publisher (William Rider & Son, London, 1909).
- Waite: Arthur Edward Waite, occult scholar, who supplied the concept and symbolic frame.
- Smith: Pamela Colman Smith, the artist who drew all 78 cards.
Pamela’s quiet revolution
What set RWS apart is that all 56 Minor cards tell a scene — rather than just arranging cups or swords in rows like traditional decks. Pamela’s vivid scenes made the deck readable, relatable, and opened tarot to non-specialists.
She drew partly on the Renaissance Sola Busca — the first deck to illustrate the minors — which she had seen at the British Museum.
Overdue recognition
For decades Pamela went largely uncredited; she died in 1951 poor and nearly forgotten. Only recently have scholars restored her rightful place — many now call the deck Waite-Smith or Smith-Waite to honour her.
Next time you draw an RWS card and get pulled into its scene, remember the name Pamela Colman Smith — who breathed life into every card.