LP Ed. Jedlička

Genuine Jedlička Record

Of all the early phonograph cylinders kept in American memory institutions, those referred to as Jedlička Record are particularly noteworthy. They were produced and distributed by (and often feature) a Bohemian American by the name of Eduard Jedlička and were intented for Czech – speaking minority in New York as well as for other listeners. Over the years, jedlička established a successful company and became a prominent figure in the music industry of the Czech community in the US in the early 20th century.

The recordings, most of which are folk songs, are a valuable representation of the musical taste of the Czech minority in the US in the early 1900s. The selected samples illustrate how variable the lyrics were and how they reflected the atmosphere of Manhattan. 120 years after the brand was registered, a part of Jedlička’s records are once again seeing the light of day.

Compiled by: Filip Šír and Lucie Večerníková
Published by: National Museum, 2023
Graphic design: Pavel Lorenc

Recordings of songs on phonograph cylinders by Eduard Jedlička from 1903–1908 come from the collections of the Library of Conress, the University of Iowa, and a private collection. The names of the recordings are given in the original wording.