Original paintings of the Thoth Tarot
-
That's a question I have wondered about for years. I've been told that none of the printed Thoth decks reproduces the original colors accurately. Some friends of mine own a triptych painted by Frieda Harris based on Freemasonic tracing boards, and it is quite amazing. If you have bucks to spend, you may still be able to buy some Harris artwork from caduceus.com, but not (of course) the Thoth paintings themselves.
-
As far as I am aware, these paintings are still part of the Gerald Yorke collection at the Warburg Institute, London. They are claimed to be part of the Crowley copyright, presumably on the basis that they are regarded as having been commissioned by Crowley rather than a joint project between Crowley and Harris.
A U.S. film company and several other corporations (Focus Features, NBC Universal and Vivendi) were recently sued by the present holder of the Crowley copyright because images from the Thoth Tarot cards appeared in a film (Woody Allen's "Scoop") without permission or what was deemed to be inadequate accreditation. This confirms that they are indeed regarded as part of the Crowley copyright.
Best wishes,
Michael.
-
Yes, it is accessible. I used to study in the Yorke Collection in the late eighties and early nineties. At that time you needed to have a reader's ticket to gain entry, and I don't think it has changed. You need to apply to the Librarian at the Warburg Institute for entry - a Google search should give you an email address and/or the postal address. If you're an academic or student then it's easy enough, since they will want a reference from your tutor or equivalent. Since I was neither academic nor student, I was asked to furnish a reference from an academic, published author, or the like.
They might have relaxed their rules a little by now, but they do keep a watchful eye on those researching in the Yorke Collection. Material has gone missing from the collection over the years - some of it stolen, some of it mislaid due to misfiling. And the disputed copyright situation over the years doubtless made the collection seem more trouble than it was worth.
Best wishes,
Michael.
-
@Oscillate said
"Do you know if the Yorke Collection is available to view by members of the general public? "
Unfortunately, they are not viewable by the public at present. Someone of my acquaintance went to England last year. He wanted to view the original watercolour paintings, but was told by the Warburg Institute that they are no longer on display because they are in need of restoration.
Dan