Vincent M. Love Collection
Acc#: L2021.003.084
Portrait of USS Maine
Black and white photographic print of the USS Maine. Sailors can be seen on deck, as well as small craft alongside the hull. The Maine was an armored cruiser battleship in the US Navy, built in 1888. Though sail rigging wasn’t utilized in these battleships, note that elements of traditional rigging still remain, such as rope ladders. In 1898, the ship was sent to Havana Harbor to monitor US interests during the Cuban War of independence from Spain. On February 15, 1898, she exploded and sank with large loss of life. The loss was sensationalized in New York newspapers, notably William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal and Joseph Pultizer’s New York World. Though these papers made much of it, it’s unclear how much it contributed to the US declaring war on Spain. The Spanish-American War lasted from April 21, 1898, to August 13, 1898.
Photographer unknown, c. 1888