Patterns for Brazil

The swatch book, which covers the years 1861 to 1866, documents Schöppler & Hartmann’s trade relations with Brazil. It is the only NAK swatch book that provides information on export to a specific country. It may have originated due to other trade barriers with printed calicoes. For example, the Augsburg calico printing works’ long-standing trade relations with Lombardy were lost in 1859 as a result of the Sardinian War between the Empire of Austria and the Kingdom of Sardinia. In addition, the American Civil War (1861-1865) and associated cotton shortage had a crippling effect on exports.

On the first page of the swatch book is an entry that provides information about a shipment of goods to Rio de Janeiro. The two business partners repeatedly mentioned are David, Huber & Co in Rio de Janeiro and Linden, Wilde & Co in the Pernambuco region with its capital Recife, whose port was closest to the Western European economic centres.

The average size of a delivery was about 600 to 800 "robes", a unit of measure not further defined in the swatch books. However, "robe" can only mean the amount of fabric needed to make a woman’s dress.

Schöppler & Hartmann printed up to 80,000 cotton and wool fabrics in total every year around 1861. Despite the aforementioned restrictions on trade relations, exports during these years went to Austria, Russia, Sardinia and North America in addition to South America.