Our Batik Card Agencies.

Fair Trade Batiks in Australia..

Batiks in Botswana, You can view some of our batiks in the Business Centre, (formerly a Post Net shop) in Gaborone. At the Business Centre they can forward an order for any of our Biorhythm or Batik products: Private Bag 00324, Gaborone. tel: + 267 370 0030.

Batiks in Lithuania.

Batiks in South Africa, P.O. Box 384, Parklands, Johannesburg 2121.
fax: + 27 (011) 788 4583. We accept rand cheques at the above address.

A batik agency could well suit small or medium-sized shop-owners with an interest in the complementary life style. There is no upfront payment or fee involved. Please e.mail batik card for details.

Use a credit or debit card, Paypal or a cheque drawn on a British bank to buy our Fair Trade batiks.

Pack of 6 notelets with envelopes cost £6 including postage.
Pack of 30 notelets with envelopes cost £15 including postage.

For a small fee, and given a reasonable time frame, our Fair Trade batik designs can be made up to your specifications.

Larger batik sizes which could be suitable for framing.

We are delighted to pass on orders for the printed batik cloth. Please e.mail batik card for a quote.

Trade prices by agreement.

Our Fair Trade batik-notelets are sold in the following categories:

Religious-themed Christmas Cards.

Scenes from rural African life.

African animals, birds and butterflies

Order batik notelets as a "mixed pack", or by subject.

A Sample Christmas Card.

"Batik Cards" are listed on Society-Links.com - Society Directory.

Global Partners for Development, 320 Professional Center Drive, Suite 120, Robert Park, CA 94928, USA.
Phone: 00 1 707-588-0550 or 800-765-6252: fax: 00 1 707-588-0580.
A 16-minute DVD, suitable for school screenings, on the Global Partners for Development is available via the website.

e.mail: travel@gpfd.org for Africa travel dates.

Unsere Batiken sind von Burkina Faso,

früher Obervolta und sind eine der wenigen Quellen von Fair Trade gehandelten afrikanische Batiken zum Verkauf innerhalb Europas. Batikproduktion ist im Allgemeinen mit Tuechern verbunden, die in Asien hergestellt werden.

Was ist Batik? Batik ist eine Methode des Färbens, in welchem bestimmte Bereiche mit Wachs bedeckt werden damit sie keine Farbe aufnehmen. Er wird hauptsächlich auf Baumwolle angewandt. Die traditionellen Batikfarben sind blau, braun und rot aber auch ein vielfarbiger und gemischter Effekt kann erzielt werden, indem man den Farbprozeß mehrmals mit dem Wachs wiederholt. Dieses kann dann „weggekocht“ oder ein anderes Design angewandt werden bevor es nochmals gefärbt wird. Niemand weiß genau wann die Batiktechnik erfunden wurde, aber es ist seit langem in Südostasien bekannt, wo es regionale Variationen gibt, einschließlich die der Celebes Inseln. Dort wird das Wachs mit Bambusstreifen aufgetragen.
Bis zum achtzehnten Jahrhundert ergab die lokale Batiktechnik ein durchdachteres Muster in Java, Indonesien und bis zum 19. Jahrhundert hatten die Bewohner Javas den hölzernen Blockapplikator entwickelt. Die Holländer (Indonesien war zu der Zeit Teil der holländischen Ostinseln), importierten beide Techniken nach Europa. Heutzutage wird viel ost-asiatische Batik maschinell hergestellt, um diese Techniken und Effekte zu simulieren. Unsere Batikdrucke sind in der traditionellen Weise handgedruckt und sind somit Einzelstuecke. Sie kommen aus der ehemaligen französischen Kolonie von Obervolta, jetzt Burkina Faso und aus dem Norden Ghanas.
Unsere Batiken sind handgemacht und handgedruckt, also sind keine zwei Karten identisch. Oben auf dieser Webseite ist ein Beispiel des selben Designs, welches an unterschiedlichen Stadien des Batikprozesses verwendet wurde. Die Herstellung von Batik wird unter weiteren Referenzen ausfuehrlicher erklaert und es gibt auch Bücher fuer (hauptsächlich) asiatische Batiken ueber unsere Amazon-Shop; klicken sie auf Suchen und finden Sie die groesste Auswahl. Sie finden unsere Batikkarten auch in dem Geschenk-Verzeichnis,
Find Batik Cards at thedirectory.net and in the UK2 shop

Produktbeschreibung
Unsere Batiken gibt es fuer die folgenden Kategorien:
• Religioese Weihnachtskarten
• Alltaegliche Szenen laendlichen Lebens in Afrika
• Afrikanische Tiere, Vögel und Schmetterlinge

Diese werden in 6-er oder 30-er Paketen, komplett mit Umschlaegen verkauft (Masse 10cm x 6cm). Sie können als ungewöhnliche Grußkarten oder als Geschenk verwendet werden. Pakete koennen nach den oben beschriebenen Kategorien oder als variiertes Paket bestellt werden.

Bis zum achtzehnten Jahrhundert ergab die lokale Batiktechnik ein durchdachteres Muster in Java, Indonesien und bis zum 19. Jahrhundert hatten die Bewohner Javas den hölzernen Blockapplikator entwickelt.

Vad är batik?

Batik är en färgningsmetod där ett mönster övertäcks med vax så att tyget inte kan dra åt sig färgen. Det används mest på bomullstyg. De traditionella batikfärgerna är blått, brunt och rött, men man kan få mångfärgad blandningseffekt om man repeterar färgningsprocessen när man tagit bort orginalvaxet och lagt på ett nytt mönster innan man färgar på nytt.

Ingen vet exakt när batikfärgningen började, men man vet att batiktekniken har använts sedan lång tid tillbaka i sydöstra Asien, där det finns flera olika varianter, som de på Celebesöarna, där vaxet läggs på med bambupinnar.

På 1700-talet på Java, Indonesien, började den lokala batiktekniken användas på mer detaljerade mönster och en applikator av trä utvecklades på 1800-talet på Java. Holländarna ( Indonesien hörde då till Holland) importerade både tyg och batik- konsten till Europa. Nuförtiden använder man sig av maskiner som imiterar både batiktekniken och effekten.

Våra batiktryck är skickligt handgjorda på ett traditionellt sätt, som kommer från den före detta franska kolonin Övre Volta, numera Burkina Faso, och från norra Ghana.

Vår batik är handgjord och handtryckt och därför finns det aldrig två tryck som är lika. Längst upp på den här sidan finns det exempel på processen i de olika stegen av samma mönster.

Our batiks are hand-made and hand-printed so no two cards are identical. Below is an example of the same design used at different stages of the batik-making process.

What is Batik?

Batik is a method of dyeing in which patterned areas are covered with wax so that they will not receive the colour. It is mainly done on cottons. The traditional batik colours are blue, brown and red, but a multi-coloured and blended effect can be achieved by repeating the dyeing process several times with the initial wax boiled off or another design applied before re-dyeing.

No-one knows exactly when the batik technique was invented, but it has long been known in South East Asia where there are local variations, including those of the Celebes Islands. There the wax is applied with bamboo strips.

By the eighteenth century in Java, Indonesia, the local batik technique resulted in a more elaborate patterned batik cloth, and by the 19th century the Javanese had developed the wood block applicator. The Dutch (Indonesia was then part of the Dutch East Indies) imported both the cloth and the batik technique into Europe. Nowadays a lot of the East Asian batik is done by machines designed to simulate these techniques and effects.

Our batik prints are hand-printed in the traditional manner and are thus craft items. They come the former French colony of Upper Volta, now Burkina Faso, and also from Northern Ghana.

The making of batik is explained in more detail where other references are also listed, and there are books on (mainly) Asian batiks linked from our Amazon store, and click on the "Seek and You shall Find Link" for the largest selection.

A Sample Wildlife Card.

Further sample designs can be seen throughout this website, and in the UK2 shop.

Individual card Makers

Some people only need a small amount of help

To highlight this we will promote one person until they have achieved their ambition.

A Rwandan Refugee currently living in South Africa wants to return to Ouganda, her home. To do this she is selling her hand made cards. Through us they are £8.00 for 10 (including postage) or £9.00 (if posted to outside the UK). All monies will go direct to the lady. Jacyntha has one reservation. In her view it is sad that some of the cards have been made using pressed flowers in addition to the artwork. If you do NOT want these included in your package please say so!

Miss Afr is being sponsored by Father Harmann Hauser, a priest with the order of the White Brothers, named after the white habit (clothes/uniform) which they originally wore.

Father Hauser can be contacted c/o Oak Lodge, 48, Totteride Common, London N20 8LZ.

tel: +44 (0)208 8959 1515: e.mail: cottage@advance-internet.com.

At the Meeting Point we Support the Bushmen of the Kalahari in their fight to stay in their homeland.

Hand-Embroidered cards made with local wool the proceeds from which help to support a women's group in Nicaragua.

This group is working near to the fair trade coffee group reported on in USA Today.

If you want to buy the cards, or offer other support, please contact the group directly. Small amounts of foreign exchange coming in do go a long, long way in the local economy.

Cooperativa Mujeres Unidas ton ganas de Progresar (Mugapro), El Paso, Granada, Nicaragua. tel: 8687634.

Botswana has long wanted to reproduce and sell historic postcards. She finds them fascinating!

Do you need to illustrate a project or thesis?

Are you researching your family history/family tree

Perhaps we can source the view you need?

We then reproduce the postcard. You commit to buy a minimum of 25 cards at £1. Once over the 25 card limit the price drops!

In 1907, when the card illustrated below was posted, the English seaside resort of Clacton-on-Sea was very popular as a holiday destination. A particular point to note is the line of bathing machines pulled up on the shore-line!

Postcard Archives.

Ancestry.com has a postcard archive which covers U.S. Historical Postcards from 1901-1960.

This database contains cards sent to various individuals throughout the United States between 1910 and 1960, and most of the pictures are of places within the United States.

About a third of the postcards include the name, and place or state of the addressee.

Both of these items may be used to search this database which is arranged by year and place (city, county, state, or other place name) of the subject of the picture on the postcard. You can also just browse the postcard images.

14-Day Free Trial to experiment with this website first.

If you have an original photograph or card ...

here are a few tips on preserving them taken from:

Preserving Your Family Photographs (Betterway, 2001) and Scrapbooking Your Family History (Betterway, 2003) by Maureen A. Taylor You can buy these from the Ancestry.com shop.

There are three main types of nineteenth-century photographs:

Daguerreotype (1839-1860s):

Recognizable by their shiny metal surface, daguerreotypes are America's first photographs. You have to hold these images at an angle in order to look at them. If you've never seen one, check out the online exhibit at The Daguerreian Society website. Members of this organization are collectors, historians, and admirers of these early images.

No matter how tempted you are to take a daguerreotype apart--don't. The image sits on the surface of the metal plate. If you wipe the plate, you'll destroy the image. Each daguerreotype is one of a kind.

Ambrotype (invented 1854):

Ambrotypes are a negative image on glass. When backed with a dark-colored fabric, paper, or varnish they appear positive. You can find examples of ambrotypes online at the Library of Congress, American Memory site site by searching for the term "ambrotype."

Ambrotypes are very fragile: the glass is susceptible to breakage, and the backing and photo layer have a tendency to flake off. I don't recommend taking these images out of their case because you can cause damage to the glass and the picture.

Ferreotype or Tintypes (Invented 1856):

Tintypes were extremely popular during the (American) Civil War period. Itinerant photographers travelled with the troops so that soldiers could send pictures of themselves home with their letters. While these metal photographs were commonly known as tintypes, the images are actually on iron. Photographers sold them in a variety of formats and enclosures from cases to paper mats or even alone. It's easy to confuse an ambrotype and a tintype in case, but you can clarify the identification by using a magnet.

These early photographs are amazingly resilient. Most of the tintypes look battered from years of mishandling, yet the image remains visible. Tintypes have a tendency to rust when exposed to water or high humidity, and the varnish coating used to protect them can darken with age. ....

and on a similar theme ...