Encrusted Bugle: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

USS Maine was a second-class battleship built between 1888 and 1895. It was sent to Havana, Cuba, in January 1898 to protect American interests during the native revolt against the Spanish government. On the evening of February 15, 1898, the Maine sank when its forward gunpowder magazines exploded. Nearly three-quarters of the battleship's crew died. American popular opinion blamed the Spanish for the sinking of the Maine and war followed within a few months. In 1912 the Maine's wreck was raised to clear the harbor and to facilitate an investigation into the cause of the sinking. The remains were subsequently scuttled in deep waters north of Havana.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: before 1898
• Object Name: bugle
• Other Terms: bugle; Bugle Fragment; Navy
• Physical Description: metal (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 4 in x 14 in x 2 1/2 in; 10.16 cm x 35.56 cm x 6.35 cm
• used: Cuba: La Habana, Havana
• Subject: Naval History
• related event: Spanish-American War
• related event: The Emergence of Modern America
• ID Number: AF.31188
• accession number: 66761
• catalog number: 31188
• Credit Line: Navy Department
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.