Purchased from Raab by the Croatian town of Oroslavja, this century-old artifact containing tens of thousands of autographs will make its way back to Croatia, the birthplace of its creator, where officials have already built a statue to him and plan to make it the centerpiece of a museum
The Washington Post reported on the Croatian delegation’s recent visit to the United States
The Raab Collection had the honor to host Mayor Viktor Šimunić, from the Croatian town of Oroslavja, along with a delegation from the city council, at the Raab offices earlier this month to finalize the purchase of a remarkable historical artifact: the famous autograph album of Josip (Joseph) F. Mikulec.
On behalf of the town, Mayor Šimunić bought the famous autograph album that has captured the attention of people around the world over the past few years.
The enormous leatherbound album was the product of one man’s voyages around the world, gathering up the signatures wherever he went. In 1924, after two decades of traveling, Mikulec, a native son of Oroslavja, sold the volume to a prominent Philadelphian. That’s the last anyone heard of it until Nathan Raab discovered and acquired it just a few years ago.
Mayor Šimunić has spent more than a year planning the purchase of this historic book, which he believes is a national, if not global, cultural heritage object. During that time, he also raised a monument in Mikulec’s honor.
You can hear more about the book and its journey on the Inspired by History podcast, episode 10: “One Great Historical Artifact’s Remarkable Journey Home to Europe After a Century”
Mikulec in the Media
The Washington Post met up with the Croatian delegation to learn about Mikulec’s fascinating story while they toured the capital.
While the delegation was in Philadelphia, both the mayor and Nathan Raab were invited to appear on The Michael Smerconish Program, a national radio show and podcast on SiriusXM, to discuss the book’s incredible journey.
CBS Saturday Morning broadcast an update to the piece they produced about the famous autograph book late last year.
Philadelphia’s NPR affiliate, WHYY, captured an audio interview with Mayor Šimunić and Nate Raab.
The delegation left Philadelphia and spent a week in Washington, D.C., touring historical sites and learning about American history. They also had the opportunity to show Mikulec’s famous autograph album to Croatian Ambassador to the United States Pjer Šimunović during a meeting at the Embassy of Croatia.
The news of the book’s travels – past and present – also made its way back to Croatia, where several news outlets reported on the mayor’s success, such as Zagorje International, Ni Zagorje Malo, and CroatiaWeek.
