Photographic postcard, USS CONNECTICUT
Date1908
Object number00054932
NamePostcard
MediumPhotographic print on paper, ink
DimensionsOverall: 87 × 137 mm
ClassificationsPosters and postcards
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Bruce Richardson
DescriptionPhotographic postcard featuring the American Connecticut Class battleship USS Connecticut during the visit of the Great White Fleet to Australia. Connecticut is depicted from the starboard side on an overcast day, and smoke is visible emanating from its middle and aft smokestack. A handwritten signature 'C.S. Sperry' is present in the top right hand corner of the photograph. Rear Admiral Charles Stillman Sperry was Commodore of the Great White Fleet during its visit to Australia in 1908.
SignificanceANMM's collections contain a number of objects associated with the Great White Fleet's visit to Australia; however, none feature authentic handwriting (signature or otherwise) of the fleet's Commodore, Rear Admiral Charles Stillman Sperry. Further, the postmark on the postcard corresponds to the period of the fleet's stay in Albany, Western Australia between 11 and 18 September 1908. This contrasts the majority of existing ANMM collection items relevant to the Great White Fleet, which focus almost exclusively on its visit to Sydney in August 1908. Finally, the postcard--in stark contrast to practically all other Great White Fleet items ANMM's collection--is not professionally made. Instead, it appears to have been crudely manufactured by hand from a photograph, suggesting it may depict USS Connecticut in Albany, and was likely created by the person who mailed the postcard. These attributes lend a special rarity and relevance to the object.
1906-1908
