snowynight

’Tis no one thing; it is not fruit, nor root,
Nor poorly limited with head or foot.
Donne.

Cut off the tops of some small French rolls, take out the crumb, fry them brown and crisp with clarified butter, then fry some breadcrumbs; stew the requisite quantity of oysters, bearded and cut in two, in their liquor, with a little white wine, some gravy, and seasoned with grated lemon-peel, powdered mace, pepper and salt; add a bit of butter, fill the rolls with oysters, and serve them with the fried breadcrumbs in a dish.

~ From A Poetical Cook-Book by Maria J. Moss (1864, Pennsylvania, US.)

When I googled oyster loaves, I found claims of various origins for this dish. The New Orlean claims to this dish was dated in mid-1800s according to this article: "Was the oyster loaf invented in (gasp!) San Francisco?" Perhaps it has travelled east, or the dish came out independently.