Winter by Karel Svolinský in 1948

Karel Svolinský (January 14, 1896 – September 16, 1986) was a significant Czech painter, printmaker, illustrator, typographer, stage designer and university lecturer. Today’s post is Winter by Karel Svolinský in 1948, in honor of the weather getting cooler and December’s 1st day. Look at this precious set of 10 original lithographed postcards printed in 4 simple colors....

LIFESTYLE

November 8, 2015

Czech Puppets from the 1960s

Remember the wonder of puppets? Hand puppets or marionettes, Czech children have a long history of loving to watch puppet shows. Below are several various photographs of Czech puppets from the 1960s of all types and shapes at an exhibition which took place in Prague on April 16, 1964. There are sweet little townspeople puppets. Lovely...

LIFESTYLE

October 31, 2015

The Mummies of the Capuchin Crypt in Brno

Looking at this building, it looks harmless enough… Even as you get closer, you have no idea. But what lurks beneath will give you Halloween chills for sure. So, what is down there? Mummies. Many, many mummies. … and bones. The mummies of the Capuchin Crypt in Brno are unusual because they never intended to...

LIFESTYLE

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October 30, 2015

The Ghosts of St. George’s Church in the Czech Republic

Just in time for a Halloween scare, we’ve found a cool story about a permanent congregation of the ghosts of St. George’s church in the Czech Republic. On the old wooden benches dozens of white-robed figures sit quietly. They do not speak. Their heads are bowed and they are silently praying to God. As you step inside, you will...

LIFESTYLE

October 29, 2015

Skoda Glamour in the 50s by Vilem Heckel

Škoda Auto, more commonly known as Škoda, is a Czech automobile manufacturer founded in 1895 as Laurin & Klement. Not too glamorous of a car, there was one photographer who bought a certain level of style to it. Today we’re looking at Skoda Glamour in the 50s by Vilem Heckel. It is headquartered in Mladá Boleslav,...

CULTURE, Photography

October 28, 2015

My Czech Wooden Picture Cubes

Who else grew up playing with Czech wooden picture cubes? I confess, my wooden picture cubes were the best. I mean, the best of the best. As a child I remember playing with these wooden blocks almost every day. I never used them just as the puzzle that they were. I used them to build castles and towers, villages...

LIFESTYLE

October 26, 2015

A Look Back at Czechoslovakia Before World War I

Today I wanted to share a look back at Czechoslovakia before World War I. The first image I want to share is this map. When the Czech Republic was first put on a map, it was placed there as Czechoslovakia. The Bohemian Kingdom officially ceased to exist in 1918 by transformation into Czechoslovakia. No one...

History, NOSTALGIA

October 23, 2015

Museum Kampa

Museum Kampa is a modern art gallery located on the east bank of Kampa Island in Prague, Czech Republic. The museum features the extensive art collection of husband and wife, Jan and Meda Mládek, who throughout their lives together, never ceased to support Czech artists. Located in the historic Sova’s Mills, the Musem Kampa was fully...

PLACES, Prague

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October 22, 2015

Tomas G. Masaryk on Wireless Technology in 1929

It’s amazing to be able to watch a rare film of Tomas G. Masaryk, the Father of Czechoslovakia, speaking English for “Fox Movietone News” on November 29, 1929. But perhaps more amazing is what he actually SAYS in the clip. “If I observe the inventiveness of our modern scientists, I sometimes fancy a much greater invention,...

Bohemians, History, PEOPLE

October 22, 2015

Rita Hayworth Visiting Prague in 1946

Who would have imagined that right after World War II, the famous Hollywood actress born as Margarita Carmen Cansino in 1910 would be coming to then called Czechoslovakia. Yes… ‘the’ Rita Hayworth Visiting Prague in 1946. She visited Karlovy Vary, too. 1946 was the year of the first Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) and she was scheduled to make an...

PEOPLE, Women

October 21, 2015

Prague Castle Guards

When in the Czech Republic, you surely visit Prague. When you visit Prague, you surely go to the Prague Castle and when at the castle, you surely see the Prague Castle Guards. Ah, what a sight they are. We think they are all so handsome! Oh my goodness! We enjoyed the sights. We enjoyed them...

Bohemians, Men, PEOPLE

October 20, 2015

Guess the #1 Beer Drinking Nation In the World

The Czechs are the #1 beer drinking nation in the world, consuming the most beer per capita in the world (160 liters or 43 gallons). They have been drinking beer since at least 900 A.D. Can this be healthy? I have a memory of both my mother and my grandmother telling me to drink a...

Beer, LIFESTYLE

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October 12, 2015

Bohemian Beer Back in the Day

Bohemian beer back in the day was based on craftsmanship, skill, hard labor and teamwork. In the town of Plzen in 1842, Josef Groll was the brewmaster who made the first ever batch of what became known as Pilsner Urquell. In their 172+ years of brewing, there have been a total of 16 brewmasters working in Plzen to date....

Beer, Bohemians, LIFESTYLE

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October 11, 2015

Building the Town Street Fair for Ladislav Sutnar

Last week I posted Building the Town with Ladislav Sutnar and later I discovered that his home town of Plzen, Czech Republic actually recreated the toys in larger size and arranged them for a street fair to re-introduce Czechs to this amazing designer. Pretty cool idea, right? The popular set of building blocks entitled “Build a...

Art and Design, CULTURE

October 10, 2015

A Beginners Guide To The Czech Language

The Czech Language is a thing of beauty. Czech, formerly known as Bohemian, is a Slavic language spoken by over 10 million people worldwide. Most people who can speak Czech live in the Czech Republic, the country where it originated and remains the dominating language. Almost going extinct in the mid-eighteen hundreds when the Germans took...

Bohemians, PEOPLE

October 10, 2015

Hotel Yasmin in Prague

It’s the kind of day that I sit and daydream about all of the new places I will go to in Prague next time I am there. Today as I was browsing hotel rooms, I stumbled across the lovely Hotel Yasmin. Perhaps the world’s first high-fashion funhouse, the Hotel Yasmin supposedly has a far-out foyer feature...

Hotels, PLACES