Durban - Unusually for our Then & Now series of old Durban, this week we bring you an interior shot.
The old picture shows the terrace of uMhlanga’s famed Oyster Box Hotel, probably in the 1950s soon after it opened.
With its dramatic, some might say diabolical, large print curtains, and plush dark floral fabric bucket chairs, it would have been considered highly fashionable and very chic in its day.
The hotel has had a number of makeovers in its long history. Originally called Oyster Lodge, it was built in 1863 with teak and corrugated iron. In 1952, the property was bought by siblings Ken and Kay O’Connor who turned it into a tea garden, then a restaurant, and finally a hotel in March 1954.
In 2006, the hotel was bought by Stanley and Bea Tollman of Red Carnation Hotels, who immediately started renovation work which lasted until 2009.
The Tollmans had their first date at the hotel back in 1952. Here a beautiful young woman called Bea caught the eye of a distinguished young hotelier named Stanley, who was known for wearing a red carnation in his lapel. On their date, Bea tried an oyster for the first time, and spat it out at the table. This must have left a lasting impression on Stanley, as they married in 1954 and later started Red Carnation Hotels. Stanley Tollman died last year at the age of 91.
The terrace today has been widened considerably from the original, and its decor is much lighter, giving a feeling of airy opulence as our photograph from Shelley Kjonstad shows.
The Independent on Saturday