The Face of Prague – Beautiful Images from 75 Years Ago

If you are an old friend and supporter of this site, you know that I love old documents, photographs, books, records and ephemera in general. More so, I love sharing my discoveries with you, the readers. That is precisely why I was inspired to share The Face of Prague – Beautiful Images from 75 Years Ago....

CULTURE, History, Photography

April 27, 2018

The Origin and Evolution of the Czech Flag

The flag of the Czech Republic features the country’s national colors and is a symbol of the Czech Republic’s rich history and culture. But what do the colors of the flag represent and what are its origins? In this post we will explore how the Czech flag has evolved over the years and how it...

History, NOSTALGIA

Býchory_Chateau_aka_Castle_of_the_Stradivarius_Violin

April 23, 2018

Býchory Chateau, Castle of the Stradivarius Violin and Jan Kubelík

Near the city of Kolín lies a small village known as Býchory (only 7 km northeast). In this village, sits a unique a Neo-Gothic castle chateau estate. Today we are going to call the Býchory chateau, the castle of the Stradivarius violin because it was once owned by world famous Bohemian violinist and composer, Jan Evangelista Kubelík. Jan Kubelík was...

Bohemians, Czech Republic, ENTERTAINMENT, History, Music

April 16, 2018

Byt a Umění Issue 2 for Czech Contemporary Housing Culture

Today once again, we are looking at Byt a umění (Apartment and Art) Revue for Czech Contemporary Housing Culture: Architecture, Interiors, Painting, Decoration, Sculpture, Plastics, Arts, Gardening, Handicrafts, Exhibitions, Auctions and more. In this edition (Issue 2, 1931), the writers express their frustration with a lack of change in Czech building practices. It seems they...

Architecture, NOSTALGIA, Periodicals

April 13, 2018

The Legend of The Golem

Throughout the Czech Republic, the Golem is recognized as a popular figure. Its clay form is represented through various statues, signs, and may even be spotted in the cobblestones of the city’s sidewalks. Many restaurants and business are named after or make reference to the mysterious creature. But what is the Golem and what are...

NOSTALGIA, Time Warp

April 11, 2018

A Closer Look at Czech Coins and Their History

Just like most places in the world, Czech currency is made up of paper bills along with coins, and though the Czech Republic is officially part of the European Union, Euros are rarely accepted at Czech establishments. Instead, the Czechs use their own form of currency known as the Koruna (meaning “Crown” in English), also abbreviated...

History, NOSTALGIA

April 9, 2018

31 Bohemian, Moravian and Slovak Writers You Never Knew Existed

Today I am proud to introduce you to 31 Bohemian, Moravian and Slovak writers you (probably) never knew existed. I was inspired to write this based on a book entitled České Album Spisovatelé which translates to Czech Album of Writers published in 1919 in Prague. Each of these individuals were born in the late 1800s and I was...

Bohemians, History, PEOPLE

April 2, 2018

Biographical Sketch of Thomas G. Masaryk

Let’s travel back in time to 1919 and set our attention to the words of Doctor Jan Herben (in Czech) which are translated by Elsie Havlasa for the purpose of learning more about Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. The following text is from a booklet which was written by Doctor Jan Herben and translated by Elsie Havlasa. It is entitled...

History, NOSTALGIA

March 26, 2018

Horse Radish Culture in Bohemia

Today I came across an old document from December of 1899 from the Division of Botany at the United States Department of Agriculture. The document is entitled, Horse Radish Culture in Bohemia and I am sharing it with you because Czechs absolutely love their horseradish! Horse-radish is employed much more extensively by German and Austrian...

History, NOSTALGIA

March 12, 2018

Czech Contemporary Housing Culture in 1931 – Byt a umění

Byt a umění (Apartment and Art) Revue for Czech Contemporary Housing Culture: Architecture, Interiors, Painting, Decoration, Sculpture, Plastics, Arts, Gardening, Handicrafts, Exhibitions, Auctions and more. The title itself sounds so modern, yet this is a periodical from 1931. It was published in Prague between the years 1930-1933 and appeared in the Czech language. This magazine...

Architecture, CULTURE, Periodicals

March 5, 2018

Vintage Czech Songbook Covers and Their Lovely Art

Czech songbook covers have a very special place in my heart because of the artwork which is always apparent. Be it the drawing or illustration or the distinctly Czech layout of text, I feel like each one is a unique treasure. Today I am sharing some of my personal favorites, and where possible, links to...

ENTERTAINMENT, Music, Time Warp

February 19, 2018

My Old Czech Letters from 1920

Sometimes it’s just an image. Other times it may be a bit more, like the delicate penmanship which caught my eye the first time I saw these old Czech letters and just knew that I had to have them. I believed the illustrations to be drawn on, but in fact they are some sort of...

NOSTALGIA, Time Warp

February 17, 2018

Hedy Lamarr “Most Beautiful Girl of the Century” Had Czech Roots

Here is a small bit of trivia you may not know… Actress Hedy Lamarr (1914-2000) “The Most Beautiful Girl of the Century” Had Czech Roots. Her maternal grandfather: Carl Moritz Leopold Lichtwitz (1855-1928) was born in Opava, Moravia. She was not only beautiful but also quite brilliant, as this post will show. In 1933, a beautiful, young Austrian woman took...

History, Movies, PEOPLE, Women

February 12, 2018

Czech Tramp (Tramping) News Covers from 1930

Czech tramping is something that is deeply woven into the psyche of many Czechs, especially those who lived through some of the political events of the 1900’s. Back in November of 2016, we shared Flashback to 1929: Czech Tramp News Covers, a post which all of the tramping buffs loved, and in that post we...

NOSTALGIA, Periodicals, Tramping

January 17, 2018

The Czech and Slovak Heligonka Instrument

The Heligonka or Helikónka (in Slovak: Heligónka) is a Czech and Slovak musical instrument similar to the Melodeon or Alpine Steirische Harmonika. The actual history of this instrument is unknown, as is the exact individual enterprises where the production began. (The Novak company was created in the year 1874 – and they produced the steirische...

CULTURE, History, Music, NOSTALGIA

December 13, 2017

The Czech Anti-Nazi Resistance Group Known as The Three Kings

The Three Kings (Czech: Tři králové) was a famous Czech anti-nazi resistance group which was established in 1939 when Czechoslovakia was annexed by Nazi Germany. It was comprised of three members: Josef Mašín, Václav Morávek, and Josef Balabán. The code name of the group (Three Kings) was coined by the Prague Gestapo. The Three Kings...

History, NOSTALGIA