Cocktails With A Curator: Meissen “Swan Service”

This week’s episode of “Cocktails with a Curator” is a story of creation and destruction. Join Deputy Director and Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator Xavier F. Salomon as he examines two pieces of the legendary Meissen “Swan Service,” which was all but destroyed during World War II when Russian soldiers ransacked a palace in the Polish village of Brody. This opulent set of dishes was given by Augustus III, King of Poland, to the statesman Heinrich von Brühl, who helped engineer Augustus’s ascent to the throne in 1734. Originally comprised of 2,200 intricately designed pieces, only about 100 pieces survive. This week’s complementary cocktail is a spiked hot chocolate.

Meissen porcelain or Meissen china was the first European hard-paste porcelain. Early experiments were done in 1708 by Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus.

To view these objects in detail, please visit our website: https://www.frick.org/swanmeissen

Carnivorous Plants: The Evolutionary Success Of The ‘Sundews’ (Video)

Covered in long, sticky tentacles, the Sundew is a predatory plant that looks like it’s from another planet.

Sundews are “flypaper” plants that trap prey in sticky hairs on their leaves. They make up one of the largest groups of carnivorous plants. Long tentacles protrude from their leaves, each with a sticky gland at the tip. These droplets look like dew glistening in the sun, thus their name.

Drosera, commonly known as the sundews, is one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants, with at least 194 species. These members of the family Droseraceae lure, capture, and digest insects using stalked mucilaginous glands covering their leaf surfaces.

Economy: Americans’ 2021 Financial Hardships

The coronavirus pandemic has forced many Americans to accept new financial realities. WSJ’s Shelby Holliday traveled to a diverse neighborhood in Philadelphia to learn how neighbors are facing different struggles brought on by the same virus. Photo: Adam Falk/The Wall Street Journal

Walking Tours: ‘Florence – Italy’ (4K UHD Video)

Florence, capital of Italy’s Tuscany region, is home to many masterpieces of Renaissance art and architecture. One of its most iconic sights is the Duomo, a cathedral with a terracotta-tiled dome engineered by Brunelleschi and a bell tower by Giotto. The Galleria dell’Accademia displays Michelangelo’s “David” sculpture. The Uffizi Gallery exhibits Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” and da Vinci’s “Annunciation.”

Video Timeline 00:10 Piazza del Duomo – Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore 10:51 Via Roma 12:05 Piazza della Repubblica 13:40 Via dei Calzaiuoli 16:00 Piazza della Signoria – Marzocco 18:00 Loggia dei Lanzi 27:00 Ponte Vecchio

Yacht Tours: ‘Komokwa’ – 135′ Horizon, 2010′ (Video)

Horizon motor yacht KOMOKWA is now offered for sale by her original owner. The best of this Horizon Premier 135 series she is in fantastic condition and the only one available with the owner cabin located on the bridge deck. Her beautiful lines conceal a splendid interior layout and offer an exceptional deck space. At anchor stabilization and frequency converter for worldwide navigation; over 60,000 nautical miles proven. Her main engines are under a comprehensive “Bumper to Bumper” 5-year warranty which expires in May 2022. The top deck is a guest favorite with 360-degree views. This deck has a hot tub with unobstructed views, sun chairs, a forward sun pad area, a shaded dining area. A full bar with 6 stools, a grill, and an outdoor shower complete the deck.

The Brain: ‘Learning & Memory’ – Neuroscience & Disease Research (Video)

Neuroscience Professor Seth Tomchik, PhD, focuses on two major research areas, the neuroscience of learning and memory, and diseases that affect learning and memory, including neurofibromatosis type one. Neuroscience is now the largest department on the Florida campus of Scripps Research.

The department’s faculty and staff, together with graduate students enrolled in the institute’s Skaggs Graduate School, push the boundaries of scientific knowledge to benefit humanity. Watch all 11 videos in this series to see their work in more detail. Scripps Research is an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institute ranked the most influential in the world for its impact on innovation. With campuses in La Jolla, California, and Jupiter, Florida, the institute advances human health through profound discoveries that address pressing medical concerns around the globe. Scripps Research also trains the next generation of leading scientists at the Skaggs Graduate School, consistently named among the top 10 U.S. programs for chemistry and biological sciences. Learn more at http://www.scripps.edu.

Winter Walks: ‘Salford – England’ (4K Video)

Salford Quays is a contemporary cultural and entertainment hub with gleaming architecture and waterside dining. The Lowry arts centre stages drama and ballet, and shows works by local 20th-century artist L.S. Lowry, who was known for depicting everyday city life. Big-name brands sell discounted fashion at the Lowry Outlet mall. Across the canal, the Imperial War Museum North often hosts family events. 

Travel: Switzerland’s ‘Castle Hotels’ (HD Video)

Gstaad Palace – A Fairy-tale-like Property in the Alps, the 115-year-old Gstaad Palace Was Built in the Swiss Chalet Style Architecture on a Hill Overlooking the Town of Gstaad. With It’s Amazing Historic Architecture, You Couldn’t Build a Hotel Like This in Gstaad Today, Given the Strict Architectural Code That Dictates a Chalet Style, the Gstaad Palace Effortlessly Combines Old World Sophistication and Glamour With Modern Convenience and Comfort Boasting Breathtaking Views of the Swiss Alps

The Dolder Grand – Towering Above Lake Zürich, Celebrating Its 120th Anniversary in 2019, Since Its Opening in 1899, the “dolder Grand Hotel & Curhaus” Soon Become the Destination for Relaxation and Rejuvenation, Although the Resort Looks Like a Centuries-old Castle, the Property is Fully Renovated and Also Offers Two Modernized, Tech-forward Wings, With Sporting Options Ranging From Golf and Tennis to Ice Skating, Ice Hockey, and Curling on the Property’s Own Rink.

Badrutt’s Palace – Opulence Reigns at Badrutt’s Palace, a Neo-gothic-style Architecture Castle Overlooking Lake Saint Moritz in the Engadin Valley. The Badrutt’s Palace is a Legendary Hotel Built at the Very Beginning of International Tourism in the Alps, With It’s Extravagant Décor and Fantastic Architecture It is the Defining Landmark in Saint Moritz and Host to Many of Its Most Iconic Events and Visitors, Don’t Expect Low-key Here, This is the Type of Place Where Guests Wear Their Best Furs and Stroll Through Le Grand Hall Dripping in Jewels.

Grand Hotel Kronenhof Pontresina – The Grand Hotel Kronenhof, a High End Luxury Hotel, the Neo-baroque Style Building is One of the Most Architectonically Important 19th Century Hotels in the Alps, Dating From 1848, the Hotel’s Status as Registered Landmark is Evident in Many Neo-baroque Details, Historic Architecture, Modern Light-flooded Rooms and Suites, One of the Best Spas in the World and the Prime Location in the Heart of the Swiss Alps – This Unique Mix Exuding of the Magic of a Bygone Era.

Beau-rivage Palace Lausanne – The Beau-rivage Palace Lausanne Has Been an Iconic Stay on the Sparkling Shores of Lake Geneva Since 1861, the Main Building Was Constructed in Art Nouveau and Neo-baroque Style Architecture in 1908. It is Registered in the Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance. A Legacy of the Generous Architecture of the Late 19th Century, the Suites at the Beau-rivage Palace Are Notable for Their Spaciousness, Each One Has a Unique Colour Scheme and Its Own Particular Ambience.

Walking Tours: ‘Venice, Italy’ -January 2021 (Video)

Filmed on January 8, 2021.

Venice, the capital of northern Italy’s Veneto region, is built on more than 100 small islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. It has no roads, just canals – including the Grand Canal thoroughfare – lined with Renaissance and Gothic palaces. The central square, Piazza San Marco, contains St. Mark’s Basilica, which is tiled with Byzantine mosaics, and the Campanile bell tower offering views of the city’s red roofs. 

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