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An Urban Explorer's Guide to the Buffalo-Niagara Region: Unique Landmarks, Historic Gin Mills, Old World Neighborhoods, History, Nickel City Oddities, Tours and More!

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Forgotten Buffalo Tours

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Historic Polonia District

Central Terminal

Polish Home Museum Project

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Classic Taverns-Buffalo

Dill's Tavern

Top Hill Grill

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Taverns of Polonia 1910

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Classic Taverns-Last Call

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The Broadway Grill

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Kutas Warsaw Inn

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Buffalo's Polonia

A Polka Moment In Time

Polish Cadets

Vintage Polka Posters

Pulaski Parade 1962

Pulaski Parade 2006

Pulaski Parade 2008

Broadway Fillmore

Polonia Stories

1910 Maps of Polonia Buffalo

Buffalo Polonia - 1910

Preserve a Polish Home

Kaminski Meats

Polonia Scrapbook

Polonia On Parade

1965 Polka Convention

Forgotten Bflo Features

Retro Chip Collection

Corner Store Experience

FBTV Video

The Fair

Most Endangered Sites

Re-Light the Rand

Genesee Brewery Tour

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Whammy Weenie

Skateland - East Ferry

Jimmy Griffin 1929-2008

Jack Kemp 1936-2009

Sattler Theater

Masonic Lodge #846

Broadway Grill Reunion

Bocce Club- Clinton St.

Ukrainian-American Center

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Buffalo Snow

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Buffalo 1969

Ray H. Bennett Home

Ultra Cool: 70s Buffalo

Buffalo Bowling Shirts

Great Northern Elevator

Pullman / Wagner Complex

Pierogi Capital of US

North Park Theater

Zywiec Brewery

Buffalo Beer Trays

1964 Campaign For Pres

Polskie Kolo Spiewackie

Tale of Two Roundhouses

Forgotten Buffalo Sounds

Sounds of Buffalo Beer

Sounds of Buffalo

Sounds of the Hound

Utica Club Beer Song

Forgotten Buffalo-Lost

St. Gerard's Parish

The Polish Village

Rudas Record Store

Tondrowski's Shoe Store

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Sattlers 998

Rivoli Theater - Broadway

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Buffalo's Last Roundhouse

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Canadian National Station

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Perreca's Bakery

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Rocketship7

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Dialing for Dollars

Ed Tucholka

Polonia Media

Greg Chwojdak, WXRL

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WKBW Top 40 Celebration

KB Goes Kaboom! WKBW

1430 Main St - WKBW RADIO

A Thing of the Past 2006

WKBW's Tommy Shannon

George Hound Dog Lorenz

Friends of Broadway Mkt.

Forgotten Links

Vintage Polka Concert Show Posters

While America rocked and rolled its way through the 50s, 60s & 70s, the American polka movement was alive and well in cities like Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Chicago. Polka fans, both young and old followed the careers of recording stars like Lil’ Wally Jagiello, Eddie Blazonczyk, Marion Lush, and Little Richard “Chicago’s Polka General” Towalski with the same fervor as teenage fans of the Rolling Stones. Many of these artists had fan clubs with membership that numbered in the tens of thousands.  Concert posters, like the ones below, were hung all over Polish neighborhoods in taverns, churches, Polish businesses and on telephone poles, promoted these spirited dances. This collection of polka concert show posters is a rare look back at what many believe to be the “golden age” of polkas.

 
For decades, these posters hung in the attic of Phil and Estelle Kurdziel at their house on Theodore Street in Buffalo’s Schiller Park/Queen of Peace neighborhood. Devoted polka lovers, the Kurdziels took pride in their sons, Richard and David, who were players for Buffalo's Happy Hi-Notes ('64 thru '77). Richard eventually play concertina for other bands including Mix n' Match and the Honky Hoppers.  After each show, they would save a dance poster and staple them to the eaves in the attic as a memento. The room became a time capsule for polka ephemera. When the family moved from the Eastside, the posters were carefully taken down by Grandson Richie Kurdziel Jr. Forgotten Buffalo is proud to share these posters with the world through the generous assistance of the Kurdziel Family.



1968, Eddie Blazonczyk, Depew (Buffalo)
1968, Eddie Blazonczyk, Depew (Buffalo)
1962, Lil Wally, Crystal Beach, Ontario (Buffalo)
1962, Lil Wally, Crystal Beach, Ontario (Buffalo)
1971, Eddie Blazonczyk, Cheektowaga (Buffalo)
1971, Eddie Blazonczyk, Cheektowaga (Buffalo)
1976, Blazonczyk & Lush, Buffalo
1976, Blazonczyk & Lush, Buffalo
1966, The New Yorkers and the Happy Hi Notes, Buffalo
1966, The New Yorkers and the Happy Hi Notes, Buffalo
Lil Wally, Clinton Street, Buffalo
Lil Wally, Clinton Street, Buffalo
1966, Jumping Jacks, Happy Hi Notes, Valiants, Buffalo
1966, Jumping Jacks, Happy Hi Notes, Valiants, Buffalo
Lil Wally, Royal Inn, Chicago
Lil Wally, Royal Inn, Chicago
1968, Polonia Grove, Chicago
1968, Polonia Grove, Chicago
1966, Polka World's Fair, Polonia Grove, Chicago
1966, Polka World's Fair, Polonia Grove, Chicago
Polonia Grove, Chicago
Polonia Grove, Chicago
Polonia Grove, Chicago
Polonia Grove, Chicago
Gene Wisniewski, Crystal Beach, Ontario (Buffalo)
Gene Wisniewski, Crystal Beach, Ontario (Buffalo)
St. Stanislaus Parish, Chicago
St. Stanislaus Parish, Chicago
1968, Polka Convention, Polonia Grove, Chicago
1968, Polka Convention, Polonia Grove, Chicago
Lackawanna, New York (Buffalo)
Lackawanna, New York (Buffalo)
St. Stanislaus Church, Armstrong Creek, Wisc.
St. Stanislaus Church, Armstrong Creek, Wisc.
1966, Polonia Grove, Chicago
1966, Polonia Grove, Chicago
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