and New Orleans Street Cars
These missions were apparently specifically targeted to Louisiana. I do not know if Czechoslovakia organized missions to other states.
However, due to the Cold War and in the midst of the McCarthy Era these missions were not very welcome. Indeed, I have seen press reports that there were confrontations, protests and general dislike of the prospect of Czechoslovaks doing business in Louisiana. The general climate was "we're not doing business with a bunch of Godless Communists."
Following the last trade mission in 1956 or 57 there was no more direct business between Louisiana and Czechoslovakia. The Mardi Gras beads never returned and the bottlers found other sources.
This fracas was significant enough to make the newspapers and pulpits of the time.
It would be most interesting to learn who was involved from the Louisiana side, what they experienced and what information they might have about this unforntunate interruption in Louisiana-Czech relations.
You can contact me if you know anything at
Jim Hlavac -- Louisiana Czech
The primary focus of this trade is the fact that when American cities dismantled their street car systems beginning in the late 1940's the Czechoslovak government apparently bought the tools and dies to make the mechanical parts for the street cars. Basically, they shipped the factories lock, stock and barrel to the Czech Republic where for the next 50 years they quietly produced street cars for the metropolitan street car systems of Prague and other Czech and Eastern Block cities.
Because of the stagnation of the communist economy the technology remained basically the same. When New Orleans began to plan bringing back the Street Cars, with the new Canal Street line as the first leg of that plan they found that the only place they could get parts and equipment was the Czech Republic.
CDK, a Czech company, now maintains an office in Algiers to help the RTA build the new lines.
It's odd when you think about it, but you can take the St. Charles street car, the oldest continuing street car in America, or you can go to Prague, one of the oldest cities in Europe, and take basically the same street cars.
Essentially every New Orleanian, resident and visitor, now interacts with Czech made products every day -- without realizing it.