author
Gertrude Clayton Lewis
1878–1958
A practical early-20th-century writer on textile craft, she is best known for a clear, hands-on guide to batik and pattern dyeing. Her work opens a window onto a time when decorative arts were being taught as both useful skill and creative expression.
1 Audiobook
First lessons in batik : a handbook in batik, tie-dyeing and all pattern dyeing
by Gertrude Clayton Lewis
About the author
Born in 1878, Gertrude Clayton Lewis wrote First Lessons in Batik: A Handbook in Batik, Tie-Dyeing and All Pattern Dyeing, a concise guide that was published in 1921. The book presents batik as an approachable craft and focuses on simple instruction, making it easy to see why it still draws interest from readers looking for classic art and design manuals.
A scanned edition of the book identifies her as an instructor in art at Lindblom High School in Chicago. That connection helps place her not just as an author, but as a teacher who was sharing classroom knowledge with a wider audience.
Reliable biographical details about her life are limited, but available records indicate she was born on September 2, 1878, and died on August 6, 1958. Even with a small surviving public record, her book preserves a practical, encouraging voice that continues to speak to makers and students of textile arts.