U. S. NAVY WARSHIPS - EIGHT PHOTOGRAPHS - WHITE FLEET, SPANISH-AMERICA

Rau, William H. U. S. NAVY WARSHIPS - EIGHT PHOTOGRAPHS - WHITE FLEET, SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. Original albumen photographs, circa 1895-1898, each on old mounts and in original frames. Seven c. 10 x 13 inches (mat openings), framed to c. 17 x 20 inches; one c. 10 x 20 inches (mat opening), framed to c. 17 x 27 inches. Condition of the photographs is generally very good (any variation from this general statement is described below with respect to the specific piece), mats and mounts and frames show age discoloration, etc. William H. Rau, 1855-1920 worked in Philadelphia. He is primarily known for the photographs commissioned by the Pennsylvania Railroad for its promotional activities, but his work includes architectual and interior photography, ships, and expositions including the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876, the St. Louis Exposition in 1904, and the Lewis and Clark Exposition in 1905. He also traveled to Egypt and the South Seas to make photos, and in the 1870s he worked in the Southwest as an assistant to William Henry Jackson. The ships in the photographs are as follows. Information about the ships is quoted from the website of the DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER. USS INDIANA This is the large format photo noted above. Stamped lower right "Copyrighted 1895 by/William H. Rau." The photo in very good condition except for an area of spotting in the sky area, center about 4 inches long, with slight deterioration of the emulsion. USS Indiana, a 10,288-ton battleship, was built at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and commissioned in November 1895. She spent her entire career in the Atlantic area. During the Spanish-American War, Indiana operated in the Caribbean, and participated in the 3 July 1898 naval battle off Santiago, Cuba. In the years following that conflict, the battleship operated with the fleet and with the Naval Academy Practice Squadron. Indiana served as a training ship during the First World War. Decommissioned for the last time in January 1919, her name was changed to Coast Battleship # 1 a few months later. She was subsequently used as a target in ordnance tests, being sunk in November 1920. USS IOWA (Two Photographs). 1. Seen almost directly broadside. 2. Seen at greater distance, and in about 3/4 view. Both stamped "Copyriht 1897 William H. Rau," lower right. Both in Very Good co