Swann Auction Galleries to Sell Matchbooks and Other Imagery Oddities

The conceptual artist Barbara Kruger is known for pairing strong photographic imagery with politically charged slogans that reference mass culture. Her ephemeral works—appearing on shopping bags, CD covers, and even coffee mugs—“are now recognized as collectible objects in their own right,” according to Daile Kaplan, vice president and director of photographs and photo books at Swann Auction Galleries. “They reflect how printmaking techniques can make art available to a broad audience.”

A grouping of 23 Kru…

Your New Thanksgiving Tradition

Your Thanksgiving dinner is about to get a whole lot better. Back in July, the Black Caviar Company partnered with Russian Caviar House, making it the exclusive distributor of certified Russian sturgeon caviar in the United States. You may recall that the United States instituted a more-than-a-decade-long ban on the importation of Russian caviar due to fears of dwindling sturgeon populations, but the caviar that is sourced and sold through the Black Caviar Company’s partnership is certified by the Convention o…

Driving the New Mercedes-Benz S-Class S550 and S63 AMG Coupes

Mercedes-Benz has traditionally treated its flagship coupes with buttoned-down restraint, incorporating precision engineering into an understated package that flies below the radar of most driving enthusiasts. For 2015, the cars in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe family depart from that paradigm, with all-new designs that feature more aggressive and even sporty characteristics than the German manufacturer typically employs. Included in the new line are the S550 ($119,900) and S63 AMG ($160,900), which both off…

Wheels Up Adds Concierge Support

Wheels Up—a New York–based private-aviation membership service—has teamed up with Four Hundred, a concierge company that coordinates access to restaurants, sporting events, concerts, and other experiences around the world. In the 8760 Concierge by Four Hundred program, a team of “personal lifestyle specialists,” as Four Hundred calls them, will be available 24/7 to fulfill travelers’ requests for such items as tickets to the hottest Broadway shows, tables at top Las Vegas restaurants, and tours of private vine…

Wheels Up Air-Taxi Service Adds Concierge Support

Wheels Up—a New York–based air-taxi service that offers membership for private air travel—has teamed up with Four Hundred, a concierge company that coordinates access to restaurants, sporting events, concerts, and other experiences around the world. In the 8760 Concierge by Four Hundred program, a team of “personal lifestyle specialists,” as Four Hundred calls them, will be available 24/7 to fulfill travelers’ requests for such items as tickets to the hottest Broadway shows, tables at top Las Vegas restaurants…

A Grape-Derived Acne Solution

Got grapes? UCLA researchers have demonstrated how resveratrol, an antioxidant derived from grapes and found in wine, works to inhibit growth of the bacteria that causes acne.

The team also found that combining resveratrol with a common acne medication, benzoyl peroxide, may enhance the drug’s ability to kill the bacteria and could translate into new treatments.

Published in the current online edition of the journal Dermatology and Therapy, the early lab findings demonstrated that resveratrol and be…

Benetti Launches the Veloce 140 Yacht

The first example from Benetti’s new fast displacement range of semicustom megayachts was launched at this year’s Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. The Veloce 140 is equipped with a new displacement-to-planing hull that allows it to reach relatively high speeds while still retaining the stability of a traditional displacement hull when cruising at lower velocities. Driven by two 3,500 hp MTU engines—the most powerful Benetti has ever employed—the 140-foot yacht can reach a top speed of 21 knots.

Its …

Sneak Peek: Malliouhana, Anguilla

Why Go: The November 11, 1985, issue of New York magazine put it this way: “Posh, palatial, and so sophisticated that you feel you’re on the Mediterranean, not the Caribbean, Malliouhana is possibly the most glamorous hotel in the islands today.” The reputation of this cliff-top Anguillan legend often precedes it, meaning that all eyes were on the California-based Auberge Resorts Collection when Malliouhana reopened on November 1 after a three-year closure that included 18 months of renovations. The resort is …

Jaguar Reveals Early Details about the 2017 XE

Making its auto-show debut at the Paris Motor Show in September, the 2017 Jaguar XE is an early indication that the British automaker is serious about its plans to expand its model lineup. The XE will join the ranks of the larger XF and XJ sedans as the third four-door offering from Jaguar when it finally makes its way to the U.S market in early 2016. This all-new model is positioned to take on the likes of the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and Audi A3 model lines. However, claiming its share of the bes…

Sneak Peek: Four Seasons Hotel Moscow

Why Go: The Four Seasons joins a Ritz-Carlton and a Park Hyatt in the heart of Russia’s capital, walking distance from the No. 1 stop on any Moscow itinerary: Red Square. In 1935, Hotel Moskva—built to be one of the city’s finest hotels—opened across from the State Historical Museum. On the other side of the museum is Red Square, with the colorful onion domes of St. Bail’s Cathedral and Lenin’s Mausoleum. The Moskva was demolished in 2004 to make room for a modern reproduction of itself that opened in October …