Prague in Old Picture Postcards

Praha na dobových pohlednicích, 1886-1930 = Prague in Old Picture Postcards, 1886-1939 conatins hundreds of photographs focusing on the old districts of the the capital city of the Czech Republic, Prague, including: Old Town, New Town, and the Jewish Town. Published in 1998 to commemorate the 650th anniversary of the founding of Prague, it covers the period when the city was under Habsburg rule, to the early years of independent Czechoslovakia. The book is edited by Edmund Orián, and published by Belle Epoque. A Czech and English version of the book were published, with the Slavic Collection holding only the Czech one.

The book is available to view in the Elizabeth Dafoe Library's Slavic Collection's Reference area, under call #:  Salv Ref DB 2620 P728 1998

Hallama Family fonds

The Hallama Family of Grande Point, MB., ca. 1925

Photograph courtesy of the U of M Archives & Special Collections,

Hallama Family fonds (PC 123).

 

The Hallama Family fonds  [Mss Sc 128, Pc 123 (A96-21, A12-08 )] consists of photographs, farm account books and a history of the Hallama family and farm in Grande Point, Manitoba. Wenceslaus Hallama, a Czech inmmigrant, who arrived in Canada in 1891, settled on his uncle, Joseph Schwab's farm, near Grande Point. Wenceslaus Hallama later purchased the farm from his uncle, where Wenceslaus' bride, Barabara Blahnik, from Bohemia, soon joined him. The couple then raised a family, from which the farm was passed on to their son, Joseph, and then later, to Joseph's son, Edward.

a fascinating collection that recollects the early years of the Hallama family, one of earliest Czech families in Western Canada. Of special note, Wenceslaus  Hallama was the first farmer in the area to own a ... »seed drill and a gasoline tractor.  The Hallama Family Fonds is available to view in the U of M Archives & Special Collections.

Visit to the U of M Archives by the Czech Ambassador

From left to right: Dr. Karel Zebrakovsky, Ms. Vladimira Zvonik, Mr. Brian Hubner; Mr. James Kominowski, and Dr. Eva Sailerova

On Monday, June 7, 2010, the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Canada, His Excellency, Dr. Karel Zebrakovsky, visited the U of M Archives & Special Collections. He was accompanied by Dr. Eva Sailerova (U of M Environmental Health and Safety), President of the Czech and Slovak Association of Canada. To greet the the ambassador, were Mr. Brian Hubner (Aquisition and Access Archivist), Mr. James Kominowski (Slavic Librarian/ Archivist), and Ms. Vladimira Zvonik (Slavic Collection and U of M Archives).

Dr. Zebrakovsky was shown a display (created by Vladimira Zvonik), of publications and other ephemera material devoted to the famous local Czech immigrant, Franciszek Dojacek. Mr. Dojacek was an entrepeneur who owned an ethnic printing and publishing house at the turn of the 20th century, and later a mail order business and a music supply store. His business was geared towards the early Central and East European immigrants: the Czechs, Slovaks, Germans, Poles, Ukrainians, Finns, Croatians, and others. Later he expanded his business from Winnipeg, and opened stores in Edmonton, Regina and Vanouver.

Dr Zebrakovsky also examined Czech language material held in the Archives' Rare Book Room, and the Elizabeth Dafoe Library's Slavic Collection. In addition, he was shown material from the Hallama Family fonds. The Hallama family were Czech immigrants who settled near Grande Point, Manitoba, and were the first family in the area to own a seed drill and a gasoline tractor.