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Impressive bronze memorial plaque honoring the USS Maine, an American warship that exploded and sank in Havana harbor, Cuba, on February 15, 1898, an event that killed 268 sailors and contributed to the outbreak of the Spanish-American War two months later. This handsome tablet, 17.5 x 12.75, accomplished in the style of romantic naturalism by known sculptor Charles Keck in 1913, depicts a cloth-capped female figure in Grecian robes gazing upon an American shield with Bald Eagle atop the Great Seal and encircled with words “Patriotism” and “Devotion.” The figure’s right arm is raised in benediction over the sinking vessel, with raised text to upper and lower portions reading: “In Memoriam, USS Maine, Destroyed in Havana Harbor, February 15th, 1898, This Tablet Is Cast from Metal Recovered from the U.S.S. Maine.” Lower right corner bears a copyright engraving: “C. Keck Sc., 1913, Cast by Jno. Williams, Inc., N.Y.” The plaque is mounted onto a heavy wooden display board, 26˝ x 21˝, with an engraved bottom plaque that reads: “Presented by the United States Government to the Private Charles Crames Post No. 225, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, 1926.” The presentation weighs approximately 21 pounds. In fine condition.
In 1898, an explosion caused the USS Maine to sink in Havana Harbor, Cuba, where it remained submerged, one of its masts still visible above the water, for over a decade. In 1911, Congress authorized the raising of the USS Maine to investigate the cause of the explosion, recover remains, and clear the wreckage from the harbor. During the recovery and investigation, metal was salvaged from the ship and used to create memorial plaques like this one. Maine memorial plaques were commissioned by the Bureau of Engraving and delivered to the cities across the United States to commemorate and ‘Remember the Maine.’ Many of these plaques are still on display as part of veteran parks and memorials.
