"I could have laughed when I realized that it was the cat" [CHAS]
The Algonquin Hotel has served as the unofficial headquarters of the Baker Street Irregulars' annual weekend gathering for many years. For those who have visited, in addition to the plush lobby, bells that summon the waitstaff with your martini, and the venerable Oak Room with Andrea Marcovicci, one of the main features of the hotel cat, Matilda.
NPR has done a feature on Matilda, The Algonquin Hotel's Feline Celebrity, which contains a summary of the piece and a link to the audio file. Long time BSI Weekend attendees may also recognize the voice of Mike Lyons, bell captain who has been with the Algonquin for four decades.
More resources:
- The New York Times did a feature on the Algonquin renovations in its Travel section in 1998.
- The Dorothy Parker Society threw a 100th birthday party for the Gonk in 2002 (that's Mike blowing out the cake)
Image credit: Fuzzy Gerdes (Flickr)
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1 comments:
My first visit to the BSI Weekend was also my first visit to New York City. There were many memorable events, but one highlight was when my travelling companions and I were shunned by Matilda. We felt highly honored. We were also very honored when, later in our stay at the Algonquin, Matilda actually took notice of our presences and allowed us to pet her.
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