This cabinet card portrait features a young and handsome naval sailor in uniform. His cap reveals that he was part of the crew of the USS Fish Hawk. The ship was launched in 1879. Originally, called the USFC Fish Hawk, the ship was a fisheries science research ship. It conducted research and ran a large fish hatchery on board. The ship was operated by the United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries. The Fish Hawk was the first large ship built by any country for the purpose of promoting fisheries. The ship operated during it’s 46 year career along the US eastern coast and in the Gulf of Mexico. However, the ship also served in the US Navy in 1898 during the Spanish-American War and from 1918 to 1919. The sailor seen in this cabinet card portrait was serving on the ship during the Spanish-American War. The sailor had his photograph taken a the Ferris studio in Apalachicola, Florida. The city of Apalachicola is located on the shore of Apalachicola Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico. The city was captured by the Union navy early in the Civil War. Before the late 19th century, Apalachicola was the third busiest port on the Gulf of Mexico. It was only behind New Orleans and Mobile. This cabinet card portrait is an interesting remnant of American naval history. SOLD
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 