Horn-u-Copia's Display of Makers

Joseph Jiran was born in 1870 in southwest Bohemia He was apprenticed to a brass instrument maker in Romania, and came to America in 1894.

In 1898, he opened his own repair shop in Chicago, and also began manufacturing instruments. and was publishing sheet music. His business was assisted by his connection to and support of music from his native Bohemia, and particularly the music of Frantilsek Knoch. Karel Hasler and Emil Stolc. Among his customers was Czech cornet coloist Bohumil Kryl

• 1897 Joseph Jiran (1869-1957) arrives in Baltimore August 20th from Bohemia; possibly starts working for Lyon & Healy in Chicago and is said to have been apprenticed to a brass instrument maker in Roumania previous to this
• 1898 established music store in Chicago, #459 W. 18th St.
• 1899 marries Julie Nosek (1869-1910) in Chicago
• 1900 musical inst. maker, h. at #521 S. Lincoln St. (census)
• 1902 musical instruments, #459 W. 18th St. (directory)
• 1906 Joseph encouraged Bohumir Kryl to start his own band; he is naturalized in September, #459 W. 18th St.
• 1910 music store owner, #1333 18th St., widowed (census); releases record label ‘Favorite’
• 1911 Joseph Jiran, musical inst., #1333 W. 18th St.; son Charles J. Jiran (1894-1989), musician, #4217 W. 26th St. (dir.)
• 1917 Charles is assistant manager of music store, #1333 W. 18th, he was born in 1894 in Prague (draft record)
• 1918 Jiran is selling Victrolas at his store (ad)
• 1920 Joseph visits Germany & Czechoslovakia on business (passport photo top right); around this time he is selling Pan American instruments with his stencil (cornet photos)
• 1925 Jiran is a Conn dealer
• 1930 Joseph, music store owner, #1333 W. 18th St.; Charles is music sales manager, #2100 Elmwood Ave., Berwyn (census), by this time opened a second store in Berwyn
• 1940 Joseph still at #1333 W. 18th; Charles is the owner of the music store in Berwyn (census)
• 1942 Berwyn store is at #6209 W. Cermak Rd. (draft record)
• 1956 Jiran Music Store, #6209 W. Cermak Rd. (ad)
• 1957 Joseph dies Feb. 7th; listed as store owner, #1333 W. 18th; Robert Kadlec is manager of the Berwyn store
• 1959 Jiran Music Store, Berwyn, Illinois (ad)
• 1975 Charles living at #536 S. Brainard St., LaGrange Park
• 1989 Charles dies in LaGrange; music store owner

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