How it all started
The Picard Bead business started with a roadblock. It was 1971, and my parents Ruth and John Picard were driving South through Algeria in their trusty Deux Chevaux automobile. After starting from John’s parents’ house in France, and catching a ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar, their goal was to reach the island of Madagascar on the far side of the African Continent.
The Picard Bead business started with a roadblock. It was 1971, and my parents Ruth and John Picard were driving South through Algeria in their Citroen Deux Chevaux automobile. After starting from John’s parents’ house in France, and catching a ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar, their goal was to reach the island of Madagascar on the far side of the African Continent. The first step on this journey had involved navigating the small vehicle across the Sahara desert. “I think we were a little crazy,” my mother recently admitted.
Carburetor trouble in the Sahara, 1971.
My father John had fond memories of growing up as a high schooler in Madagascar, a singular place and a truly worthy destination.
Despite constant car trouble exacerbated by the intense heat, the young couple successfully crossed the massive desert and arrived at the Nigerian border on the southern side of Niger. They felt as if nothing could stop them.
Ruth Picard relaxing at a Saharan desert oasis, 1971.
“You can’t come into Nigeria,” the border guard said.
“Oh dear, we are trying to reach Madagascar. What should we do?” Ruth replied.
“Impossible. Chad and Sudan will never let you through.”
It was an impasse. The news that Madagascar was out of reach took some time to sink in.
They discussed together for several minutes what to do. Reluctantly, John wrenched the steering wheel into a sharp right turn, pointing the little Citroen towards West Africa. Though they felt sad to turn away from Madagascar, this turn would eventually result in a huge opportunity for the Picards.
It was in the coastal towns of Togo, Ghana, and Ivory Coast that they first discovered the African Trade beads. These were the unique beads that have fascinated them ever since. They were the beads that allowed my parents to build a successful business that supported our family as I grew up in Carmel, California.
Bead market in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, 1971.
Later, in 1989, my parents expanded their African imports business to include new glass beads manufactured in Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic. To launch the new venture they placed a full page ad in Ornament magazine urging customers to “Czech out our new line.”
Today I would like to introduce our new website, Picard Czech Beads. With the launch of Picard Czech Beads I am excited to continue the bead tradition I have learned from my parents, while introducing modern features that will make each order easier.
My father John Picard’s passion for beads continues to this day. It can be seen in the high quality photos displayed on this site. He and I work together every day to fulfill orders, maintain the websites, and correspond with customers.
My father and I working in the Czech bead room of the Picard building in Carmel, CA.
We hope you will find Picard Czech Beads a useful resource for browsing Czech glass beads. Please send us any feedback or questions through the form on the About page.