Bohemian Women's Publishing Company Records

An inventory of the collection at the University of Illinois at Chicago

Administrative History of the Bohemian Women's Publishing Company

Zenske Listy was established in 1894 by Josefa Humpal-Zeman in Chicago as the first Bohemian women's newspaper in the world. The Bohemian Women's Publishing Company that published the newspaper was later reorganized by fifty women as a stock company in 1895 and by 1899, the company published the paper on a weekly basis and produced programs, pamphlets, calling cards, tickets, and other items used by Czech businesses and professionals in Chicago. Mary Cunat (Marie Cunatova) served as president and Mary Blahnik (Marie Blahnikova) as vice-president of the company while Josefa Humpal-Zeman remained editor and general manager.

Scope and Contents

This collection was originally held within a large scrapbook and contains some material from Zenske Listy, photographs of the women who worked at the Bohemian Women's Publishing Company along with some items produced by the company such as programs and tickets for cultural events, forms used by businesses and professionals, advertisements, stationary, and envelopes. Some newspaper clippings are included such as an excerpt describing the company as the first all-women enterprise in Chicago. Some photographs are now stored in protective sleeves and acid-free paper folders for preservation.

Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

Dick Seidel of the Newberry Library forwarded these materials to the University of Illinois at Chicago in August 1972.

Detailed Description/Box and Folder Listing