For all the Washington, DC, readers out there- a photo from 12th St NW, circa 1922. Here at the Museum we tell the story of oysters and oystering, from the life cycle of our favorite mollusk to its demise on the shucking table. This photo goes one step further, and shows how the Chesapeake’s erstwhile inhabitants, once they left the buyboats and packing houses, were sold to an urban market- with quite popular and prolific results, it seems. Oyster houses, a staple of East Coast city life since the 18th century, were frequented by all manner of classes and races, drawn by the cheap cost and delicate brine of the Chesapeake oyster, and could be found in almost every neighborhood.

To look more closely, click on the photo above, which is featured on a website, Shorpy (http://www.shorpy.com),  which shares incredible vintage photography.  You can see a detailed version of the photo here: http://bit.ly/vn9Ydc.  Make sure to read the comments, too- pretty interesting insights!