VITAK-ELSNIC – You hear this name and if you play an instrument you will think of polkas and ethnic music. That is the legacy of Vitak-Elsnic Company.
For over 50 years this company has provided music for accordion, concertina and piano players as well as bands and orchestras throughout the nation and many parts of the world as well. This service has resulted in the creation of a library of music which is now owned and distributed by the Bill Brown Distributing Co. of New Ulm, Minnesota.
The Vitak-Elsnic Co. was founded in 1895 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Otto Georgi and Louis Vitak (Georgi and Vitak was the original name of the company) started the company in Cincinnati but soon felt that their future had greater potential in Chicago.
Around the turn of the century the move to Chicago was made to a location on Wabash Avenue, the music row, along with Carl Fischer, Lyon and Healy and various other music affiliated businesses. This location was only temporary as a few years later a move was made to the Back of the Yards area of Chicago where there was a concentration of German, Polish, Bohemian, and other ethnic groups residing.
About this time the Elsnic family was becoming increasingly involved in the company and this was the area where they too lived. After being located at various locations on 47th St., McDowell and Ashland, the company moved in October, 1929 to the building at 4815 S. Ashland which was to be its location for 45 years.
During the period before 1929 the operation was primarily a music store with a separate factory building on McDowell for the manufacture and service of musical instruments imported from Europe. After the move to 4815 S. Ashland, the business expanded into the sale of the new invention “radio”.
Along with this move came the change in name to Vitak-Elsnic Co. as by this time Frank Elsnic (father of Joe, Emil and Henry) was a part owner, together with Louis Vitak, an uncle. Joseph Elsnic, a very versatile musician, became involved in the company as a music teacher and demonstrator on the various instruments the company sold.
Emil Elsnic with his very good business mind made the best of the U.S. Mail to promote the sale of ethnic music that his brother Joe was now beginning to arrange and publish. Much of it music with which he became familiar as a musician frequenting the dance halls and social halls of the ethnic groups concentrated around the area.
The company also sold many brass, woodwind and reed instruments as well as the Pearl Queen concertinas by mail to the immigrants living in rural areas all over the country.
The late 1930’s brought the addition of records, Henry’s area of interest, as a new and important part of the business. Also, at this same time, Vitak-Elsnic bought the Colonial Music Co. and thus was introduced to a new group of customers and became involved in wholesale music distribution.
The company continued in this form up to, during and after the Second World War. As most businesses, the company prospered up to and through the 1960’s.
The late 60’s and the 70’s brought about changes – technical, demographic, business and ethnic, which prompted Larry Musielak, who was by this time the owner, to move the business to Downers Grove, Illinois in March, 1974. These same changes continued to effect the business fortunes and in 1986, the decision was made to dissolve the corporation.
Over a period of months of discussion between Bill Brown and other possible prospects the effort was made to prevent this fine catalog of ethnic music from suffering the fate of others such as Jiran, Sajewski and Silberhorn.
It was decided in February of 1986 that Bill and Helen Brown would continue to publish and distribute the Vitak-Elsnic catalog of music and Pearl Queen Concertinas. This, two fine old names in the ethnic music field will be available to lovers of this type of music and sound.
The Vitak-Elsnic Co. may have ceased to exist as a business, but the name and heritage will continue to exist for many years through the effort and dedication of the Brown’s and their associates.
Lawrence G. Musielak
