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A scarce original British-manufactured real-photo postcard depicting USS Ohio, a Maine-class pre-dreadnought battleship associated with Theodore Roosevelt’s Great White Fleet and early naval radio-control experiments. Its authentic period photographic format and uncommon subject make it a desirable example for collectors of naval history and early twentieth-century postcards.
USS Ohio carried American naval power around the world during the Great White Fleet’s 1907–1909 cruise. The ship later served in Mexican waters, supported World War I training, and participated in pioneering experiments involving the remote control of the former USS Iowa.
This period RPPC shows Ohio after modernization, identifiable by her distinctive cage masts and three funnels. The sharp shipboard view, original photographic surface, and British manufacture give the postcard strong visual appeal while documenting an important U.S. battleship during the transition from the pre-dreadnought era to more modern naval technology.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
* Commissioned in 1904
* Lead ship of the Maine class
* Pre-dreadnought battleship armed with four 12-inch guns
* Sailed with the Great White Fleet from 1907 to 1909
* Represented the expanding global reach of the United States Navy
* Operated in Mexican waters during the unrest of 1914
* Served as a World War I training ship
* Participated in pioneering radio-control experiments
* Helped control the unmanned former USS Iowa
* Decommissioned in 1919
* Sold for scrap in 1923
THE POSTCARD
* Scarce original period real-photo postcard
* Shows USS Ohio with two cage masts and three funnels
* Depicts the ship in her post–Great White Fleet configuration
* Reverse marked “British Manufacture”
* Marked “This Is a Real Photograph”
* Not a modern reproduction or mechanically printed view
* Unposted and unwritten
The combination of Ohio’s Great White Fleet history, later experimental role, authentic period photographic format, and attractive shipboard image makes this a noteworthy collectible for naval-history, postcard, and early battleship enthusiasts.
ITEM DETAILS
* Ship: USS Ohio
* Hull Number: Battleship No. 12 / BB-12
* Class: Maine class
* Type: Pre-dreadnought battleship
* Commissioned: October 4, 1904
* Great White Fleet: 1907–1909 world cruise
* Later Role: World War I training ship
* Experimental Role: Radio-control ship associated with unmanned USS Iowa
* Configuration Shown: Two cage masts and three funnels
* Estimated Date: Circa 1911–1915
* Manufacture: British
* Format: Real-photo postcard
* RPPC: Yes
* Postal Status: Unposted and unwritten
* Original/Reprint: Original period postcard
* Themes: United States Navy, Great White Fleet, Battleships, Naval Technology
* Unit of Sale: Single postcard
CONDITION
Good antique condition with a strong image and the visual character expected of an original early twentieth-century postcard.
Please review the photographs for the postcard’s exact condition and appearance.
SHIPPING
Ships protected in a postcard sleeve inside a rigid mailer.
