The American ship honoring Tesla, built in 1943 at Betlehem Steel Shipyard in Baltimore.

For more than fifty years Emil Blazevic contributed to American and Croatian music and to the education of many good singers. He was born in Kraljevica, Croatian Littoral, in 1880; he came to America around the turn of the century. A teacher of music and singing, he had his own school of music in New York. He was an excellent singer, composer, conductor, and popularizer of the tamburitza music. Blazevic was eighty years old when he died in New York in October, 1960.

Source: Adam Eterovich web site www.croatians.com

A brass band in Los Angeles formed in 1917 by the members of "Sokol" (The Falcon), a Croatian patriotic organization.

Frank Hoffer from Karlovac (first from left) is among the first who introduced the tamburitsa instrument to America. Next to him is  Paval Pavlinac and Mima and Katica Hoffer. Hoffer arrived in America in 1887 and setlled in Philadelphia with his wife. In 1891 he moved to Steelton, Pa. where a large Croatian colony was in the making. In 1893 his group performed at the Chicago World's Fair. He taught his group by rote and they always played by ear.

Frank Hoffer with two Croatian trademarks: tamburitsa and cravate. Note that his tamburitsa is adorned with a small white handkherchief, and each tamburitsa has a similar decoration.

From www.croatians.org by Adam Eterovich:

Apparently the very first introduction of tambura playing in America was linked with a man named Frank Hoffer. Born in Karlovac, Croatia, he immigrated to the United States in 1887 at the age of twenty-seven. He and his wife settled in Philadelphia where they proceeded to raise a family of four daughters. Being knowledgeable sornewhat in music and woodworking, he began making instruments by hand. In 1891, he moved his family to Steelton, Pennsylvania, and in that same year he and his troupe supposedly played in a vaudeville revue in Harrisburg.

In 1893, Mr. Hoffer and his group are reputed to have appeared at the Chicago World's Fair. They also claim the distinction of performing at the first Croatian Fraternal Union Convention held in Cleveland, Ohio, at the Paval Kekic Hall. Mr. Hoffer taught the troup by rote; the group always played by ear. The performers were: (1) Mr. Frank Hoffer - Director and bisernica player; (2) Mr. Paval Pavlinac - berde; Miss Mima Hoffer - bugarija; Miss Katica Hoffer, bugarija. Later, the two other daughters, Anna and Frances, joined the group when they became old enough. Frances Hoffer placed a brac while sister Anna Hoffer played a kontrasica.

All instruments appear to be home-made. The bisernica played by Mr. Hoffer is fretted Farkas-style in a series of whole and half frets. It had four strings in two courses of double strings, all tuned to the pitch of D. The berde, also home-made, consisted of four strings tuned in Gg and Dd, also of the Farkas system. The quartet contained two rhythm instruments in the form of three-toned bugarijas, one probably tuned D B G and the other tuned G D B. Thus, it appears possible that the Hoffer Family Tamburica group became the very first players of this Croatian National Instrument in America.

Florio Antonovich from Konavlje he came to San Francisco on Flying Cloud clipper ship in 1851. With this ship he made the record time from New York to San Francisco around Cape Horn.

From www.croatians.com, Adam Eterovich:

Florio Antonovich, from Konavlje, Dalmatia, Croatia arrived in San Francisco in 1851 on the famous clipper ship, "The Flying Cloud," the ship that made the record time from New York to San Francisco around Cape Horn.  He was a member of the Tuolomne Society in 1853 and probably made a gold strike, as he returned to San Francisco and operated a coffee saloon and restaurant at the corner of Clay and East at 403 East Street.  He listed as a capitalist in 1891 and voted in 1871.  He was from Konavle. He was a Charter Member of the Slavonic Illyric Mutual Benevolent Society.  He was President of the Society at one time. 

In 1868 he returned to his native country, and there he married a young lady from Bresecine, returned to San Francisco with his bride same year, and brought into the world a lovely family of children. He died in 1898 at the age of seventy-three. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Florio Antonovich, daughter Mrs. Annie Ashley, and two sons, William G. Antonovich, a well-known attorney in our colony, and Emile P Antonovich, Captain in the United States army. 

In 1882, Mrs. Nicholas Buja and Mrs. Florio Antonovich, were selected by the Slavonic Society to raise money for the Society's new banner, Majika Slovinska (Mother Slavia).  the presentation of the banner to the Society was made by two young girls, now married ladies, Mrs. Cora Maroevich and Mrs. Antionette Forrest, in old Platt's Hall, located on the Montgomery Street where now stands the Mills Building.