Tarot Exhibition at The Warburg Institute

[JoyousGirl]

I was reading the Guardian the other day, and saw that the Warburg Institute in London has a very interesting occult library - but more specifically, will be holding a show on original Tarot artwork in January. 

 

I'm not in London. Wouldn't it be nice of someone to take photos and tell us about it? 

 

Or perhaps some TTM members would like to visit as a group? It would be good if we could get temporary memberships for their occult library (being researchers on behalf of this forum).  Would we write a book? What topic chapter would you want to write about? Just a suggestion - not sure if it's possible.  Let me know your thoughts. I'll see if I can get a list of their catalogue.

 

Details are:

Tarot: Origins & Afterlives
31 January - 30 April 2025
The inaugural exhibition in the new gallery will explore the evolution of tarot, from a fifteenth-century courtly card game to its contemporary adaptations. It will feature significant items such as selections from the earliest surviving complete deck, the Sola Busca Tarot, and Lady Frieda Harris’s paintings for the Thoth Tarot, designed with Aleister Crowley.

 

See Guardian article here https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2024/sep/25/occult-worlds-weirdest-library-warburg-institute

Warburg Institute site: https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/news/warburg-institute-unveils-inaugural-artistic-programme-after-major-transformation

Edited September 27, 2024 by JoyousGirl

[JoyousGirl]

Here's the magic and science material they have. I'd love to look at the Sibyls and anything nature related such as trees, and fabulous animals and snakes, as I've just completed a geography degree.

 

See their magic and science library list here:  https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/photographic-collection/index/magic-science

 

 

[gregory]

I am determined to get to this - and I am also not in London. But I will be very surprised if the Warburg allows photography of the Tarot exhibition.

Edited September 28, 2024 by gregory

[DanielJUK]

We will have to see when there are more details nearer January and ticket buying info.

I've noticed in the last few years that most exhibitions and galleries in London now allow non-flash photography. I think this is because about 50% of ticket buyers want to put a selfie with the pictures on their socials.

However some specific art still has strict restrictions, we shall see

 

Thanks for sharing about it @JoyousGirl, we can use this thread to discuss it and if anyone gets to it, share about it 🙂 

[gregory]

Yes - but the Warburg - over MANY years - has made viewing of the Harris paintings almost impossible (Lillie and I once looked into getting a permit just to VIEW them)  - and when Konigsfurt were permitted to do so in order to reproduce the Thoth as close to the originals as possible they were allowed to do so only because the OTO funded it.

 

and from an old thread on AT:

 

Quote

Mr. Albrecht Karnbach from Urania's distribution & marketing department (redacted email) told me the following:
He is sorry that nothing in regard to the Thoth has materialized as the company wished. Urania had great difficulties with O.T.O., NY, as they own the rights to Crowley's Thoth. Urania had to jump through hoops to satisfy them

.I shall take my camera - but I shan't hold my breath. When I was in France recently there were three or four art exhibitions with some rooms free for photography and others not. Same in London - particularly the Dulwich, where I confess I captured the image I wanted most JUST before I was told to stoppit.

 

There was a thread - here's an interesting post:

https://www.tarotforum.net/threads/thoth-2005-by-urania-verlag.35108/post-469387

[JoyousGirl]

They've just spent gazillions on upgrades to the building, so I'm guessing they want to recover as much as they can through events such as this.

 

With the above scenario in mind, non-flash photography should be acceptable.  My thinking is, as DanielJUK said, people take selfies - and that may mean more people visit and more dollars are made. Wider membership base (more academics etc) and UK tourism might benefit as well. 

 

6 hours ago, gregory said:

I confess I captured the image I wanted most JUST before I was told to stoppit.

 

 

Two things I wish I'd broken the photo rules on (damn being a conscience-riddled goody two-shoes) - one is a painting of a ship on stormy seas at at Ascoli Piceno, the other is the Turkish room in Peles Castle - OMG.  

 

I think I'll send Warburg an email explaining that I'm an Aussie and I need to know for planning purposes. ETA Let me know if I should ask anything else. 

Edited September 28, 2024 by JoyousGirl

[gregory]

Thing is - if you get to take a photo, the copyright ON THAT PHOTO becomes yours. Many museums object to this as you can then legally sell it as postcards and undercut them. In the case of the Harris paintings I suspect you could legally sell a deck made from them. Given that the OTO and US Games are still (as far as I know) fighting tooth and nail over copyright on the Thoth deck....

huge page on the subject

 

I know that's why the Louvre gets nasty about the Mona Lisa.Go for it - ask.

 

Selfies OMG I CARE SO LITTLE - and most decent museums have at least banned selfie sticks.

[JoyousGirl]

13 hours ago, gregory said:

I know that's why the Louvre gets nasty about the Mona Lisa

 

Ah, that explains why I couldn't take a photo of Lady with an Ermine. I suppose the good thing is that you (ideally) drink in all of the detail - though I've forgotten why I loved the ship so much, and they didn't give us enough time to get a mental imprint of the Turkish room.

As for the Lady, I was amazed at the skill implemented in the blush of her cheeks - up until then I never understood why 'Leo' was so revered. 

 

I'll send an email now.

[Mr_Tea]

Tarot - Origins & Afterlives

Warburg Institute, Woburn Square, London WC1H 0AB 

Until 30 April 2025, 12:00AM - 12:00AM

 

https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/events/tarot-origins-and-afterlives-2025

 

This may already be common knowledge, but if you can get to old London Town before the end of April, this is almost certainly worth a look. Tickets are free, but viewing slots have to be booked in advance. I've got mine sorted.

[gregory]

I think this has been mentioned elsewhere. I'm going, for sure !

[DanielJUK]

I've merged the two threads about this exhibition together in the Tarot in Media section

 

@JoyousGirl gave us a head up about the exhibition last year 😀

Thanks for reminding us all about it on it's opening @Mr_Tea 

 

There are a few reviews of the exhibition already. I've seen around the net -

 

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/jan/27/tarot-origins-afterlives-warburg-institute-london-exhibition

 

https://www.wallpaper.com/art/exhibitions-shows/tarot-origins-and-afterlives-warburg-institute-london

 

 

[gregory]

I went. It’s very good. I would copy the leaflet for you but it has been so much more popular than they expected that they ran out. I have some photos, but much was under glass in low light for obvious reasons, so I don’t know how much I’ll be able to show. But any of you in London or who can easily get there should do. Not least for Frieda’s paintings.