Description:

GLASS PLATE NEGATIVE OF AN UNKNOWN AMERICAN SHIP
Glass plate photographic negative, 4 3/4" x 3 3/4", depicting a white-hulled ship with twin funnels, two gun turrets on deck, and a barbette gun in the bow. Includes a label, which identifies the ship as the monitor "Agamenticus", built at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in 1865. However, this ship is most assuredly not the "Agamenticus"! The ship's freeboard is much too high for a monitor, and no monitor ever mounted guns in a barbette configuration. In fact, this particular vessel looks nothing like any warship ever commissioned by the United States Navy. At her bow, she flies a standard American flag; a Navy ship would only fly the Jack of the United States from her bow. If she isn't the monitor "Agamenticus", and isn't a ship of the US Navy, then what is she? The flag flown at her stern has forty-five stars, meaning that the photo was taken sometime between 1896 and 1908. In 1898, Commodore GEORGE DEWEY (1837-1917) led his squadron to victory over a Spanish fleet at the Battle of Manila Bay. The ship in this photograph bears a crude and passing resemblance to Dewey's flagship, the protected cruiser "Olympia"; both possess twin funnels, both have a ram bow and a tumblehome stern, both feature a stars and stripes shield at the bow, and both are armed with fore and aft deck turrets and barbette guns, although those in the photograph are likely dummies. It is our hypothesis that this ship was modified to resemble the "Olympia", as a tribute to Dewey and the victory at Manila Bay. Determining her true identity and function would be an interesting topic of study for the dedicated researcher. Includes two modern positives of the photograph. Mounted in a padded display case, very good.

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December 9, 2015 10:30 AM EST
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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