The Fantastic Life of Bohumir Kryl

Bohumir Kryl (1875 to 1961) was an amazing Czech-American. He was in turn an acrobat, a sculptor, a world-famous cornetist, a bandleader, a financial wizard, a pioneering recording artist, and an art collector. He was also one of the most engaging and flamboyant characters to have remains at Bohemian National Cemetery.

You can read the details of his life using this link to the Bohumir Kryl Biography from wikipedia.

 

 

In 2012 The Bohumir Kryl Project was given to acquaint more people with Kryl and his pioneeering work. The program featured an excellent reinactor, a full band, and several soloists.

The program is over but the The Bohumir Kryl Project website includes sound recording and many photos.

 

Newspaper articles on Kryl

Here are some samples of newspaper articles about Kryl. You can click on the cartoon to see a pdf of the clipping.

Kryl at Riverview 1907

Kryl at Riverview

The Chicago Sunday Tribune , June 6, 1907 published this article on Kryl at Riverview .

 

Kryl as Sculptor 1911 Philadelphia Inquierer

Kryl and the Lew Wallace memorial

 

 

Kryl and his Daughters

Kryl made himself even more famous when he offered $100,000 to each of his daughters to delay marriage.

From the -1922 Philadelphia Inquierer

... and from the Kansas City Star

His compositions and band tours, made him a millionaire by the mid-1920's.

He toured Canada, Cuba, and Mexico with his bands and orchestras and America and Europe with his daughters. By the time of his death he had traveled more than one million miles and soloed more than 12,000 times.

Kryl became a noted art collector and donor. He formed a booking agency and a music bureau, received an Honorary Doctor of Letters, was President of the Berwyn (Illinois) National Bank, and was involved in savings and loans throughout the Chicago area.

In 1961 Kryl died in New York at the age of 86. leaving an estate valued at over 1 million dollars to his widow, Mary Jerabek Kryl who followed him a year later.

Bohumir Kryl Death Notice 1961

Bohumir and Mary Kryl rest in the Masaryk Mausoleum.