Abstract American institutions hold collections of early phonograph cylinders, including a remarkable set of Czech recordings titled “Jedličkovy české rekordy” (Jedlička’s Czech records) named after Eduard Jedlička, a Czech immigrant to the United States. Jedlička’s records and songs were popular among the Czech minority in the early twentieth century, significantly contributing to their sound cultural heritage. Jedlička’s story has only recently begun to emerge. The life of this Czech American businessman, a pioneer in recording, publishing, and distributing recordings for the Czech minority, remains underresearched, as does the content of his phonograph recordings, which at the time were a revolutionary technology. Reconstructing Jedlička’s life and activities illuminates the broader role of Czech immigrants in American society and culture, their adaptation strategies, entrepreneurial spirit, and the challenges they encountered. This research also provides insight into the broader development of the music and recording industry.
Šír et al. (Wed,) studied this question.