Printing Blocks

Vintage printing blocks from A Brunnschweiler & Co

Some - but not all - traditional African wax prints were overprinted by hand using heavy wooden printing blocks.

These rare vintage printing blocks date back to the 1980s and were used up until 2007 in the print works of A Brunnschweiler & Co of Manchester - the last English wax print manufacturer. When the factory closed, Brunnschweiler moved wax print production to their sister factory ATL in Akosombo, Ghana.

Each block is about 3 cm / 1.3 inches thick and weighs about 1.6 kg / 3.5 pounds.

Dimensions vary, but most blocks are about 20 x 40 cm / 8 x 16 inches.

Not just historic artefacts: these blocks can be used!