Bringing Wood Block History Up to Date

Towards the end of the 19th century there were many textile factories in the Czech lands. Most were concentrated along the entire Northern border of the country with present day Germany and Poland. Because this was Bohemia, the owners (families) were mostly German and that is why the blocks are more often than not marked in the German language. With the invention of steam rolled machines traditional printing with wood blocks declined.

By the time the Communists gained complete control of the country, printing was entirely centralized, mechanized and located in just one factory, the Tibe in Dvur Kralove. Most of the wood blocks were burned, thrown away, or left to waste. The blocks you will see at our store Traditional therefore represent a lost Czech art form.