BY LYDIA WOOLEVER
“The largest genuine Maryland oyster—the veritable bivalve of the Chesapeake, still to be had at oyster roasts down the river and at street stands along the wharves—is as large as your open hand,” wrote Mencken in 1913. “A magnificent, matchless reptile! Hard to swallow? Dangerous? Perhaps to the novice, the dastard. But to the veteran of the raw bar, the man of trained and lusty esophagus, a thing of prolonged and kaleidoscopic flavors, a slow slipping saturnalia, a delirium of joy!”
H.L. MENCKEN WAS ONTO SOMETHING when he declared the Chesapeake Bay the “immense protein factory.” Abundant with marine life, the nation’s largest estuary has fed its inhabitants for millennia. And while there have always been crabs and rockfish, one species in particular has stood out as an especially vital source of edible and ecological significance. Ugly, strange, sexy, controversial—the small but mighty oyster.
We know, we know. They’re not for everyone. But for anyone living in Maryland—let alone in Baltimore, which was once known as Oyster City—the peculiar, polarizing, pivotal creature is more than just a slippery shellfish. In fact, it’s quite worthy of the title “natural wonder:” a tiny filter feeder so environmentally advantageous that it could once clean the entire bay in a matter of days. A teeny reef builder whose homemade habitats provide shelter for other species but also protection from natural disasters and climate change. A tasty specimen of seafood that built towns, ignited wars, and served as an economic powerhouse—forever imprinting on our cuisine and sense of place.
Georgina Godwin is joined by analyst Stephen Dalziel to flick through the morning’s newspapers and biggest stories. Plus: Andrew Mueller tells us what we learnt this week and Andrew Tuck’s weekly column.
Picasso’s stunning painting ‘Femme Accroupie’, offered in Sotheby’s upcoming Modern Art Evening Sale (9 October | Hong Kong), is a portrait of his ultimate muse and wife, Jacqueline Roque. In this latest Expert Voices, Sotheby’s Chairman Brooke Lampley tells us of the huge artistic inspiration Jacqueline had on Picasso. Discover how this work was the final summation of an entire series of portraits of her, and how it was inspired by master artists of previous centuries.
Monocle’s Emma Nelson and Chris Cermak discuss today’s federal election in Germany. Plus: a roundup from the Balkans, and our panellists Stefanie Bolzen, Terry Stiastny and Christof Münger on the weekend’s other stories.
If there is one landmark that encapsulates the spirit of New York City, with all its glamour, charm and singularity, it is The Carlyle Hotel. An Upper East Side institution since it opened in 1930, The Carlyle has become synonymous with luxury, status and sophistication. Its suites have housed presidents and princesses, dukes and duchesses, and Hollywood’s most honored stars.
Commemorating the hotel’s ninetieth anniversary and featuring the recent renovation by the esteemed designer Tony Chi, this all-new edition of The Carlyle explores the hotel’s storied history and its status as an enduring icon. With exclusive interviews with celebrity patrons and never-before-seen photographs from the earliest archives up to today’s most exclusive parties, this stunning volume is an homage to the rich past and vibrant present of this grand, world-famous hotel.
James Reginato, Writer-at-Large for Vanity Fair and a contributor to Sotheby’s Magazine, is the author of Great Houses, Modern Aristocrats. A leading journalist, he was formerly W Magazine’s Features Director.
Regarded as one of the preeminent rock musicians of our time, Lenny Kravitz has transcended genre, style, race and class over the course of a forty-year musical career. Reveling in the soul, rock and funk influences the 1960s and 1970s, the writer, producer and multi-instrumentalist has won four consecutive Grammy® Awards. His eleven studio albums have sold forty million worldwide and his creative firm Kravitz Design Inc. touts an impressive portfolio of ventures, including hotel properties and high-end brands like Rolex, Leica and Dom Pérignon. He’s the author of Flash, which showcases rock photography and his memoir, Let Love Rule, landed him on The New York Times Best Seller List.
Boomers Daily 