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Launched June 10, 1893 USS Massachusetts BB-2 was an Indiana-class battleship that carried into battle a figurehead designed by Bella Lyon Pratt.
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 | Victory.
When the state of Massachusetts was looking for something special to do for their namesake they consulted Bella Lyon Pratt. Bella designed a life-sized female winged warrior holding a sword inscribed "VICTORY". The statue mounted between the guns of it's forward main turret. |
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 | Statue Of Victory.
The Boston Globe, Thursday, June 11, 1896 page one. |
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 | USS Massachusetts BB-2.
The USS Massachusetts served in the Spanish-American war. It was put into service as a training vessel in 1910. It was decommissioned in 1919 and in 1921 it was deliberately sunk in the Gulf of Mexico and it serves as an artificial reef and diving spot. In 1993 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. |
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 | Sailors Aboard the USS Massachusetts.
Sailors Aboard the USS Massachusetts. |
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 | Marine Guard Aboard the USS Massachusetts.
Marine Guard Aboard the USS Massachusetts. |
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 | States Gift To Be Returned.
In 1909 the Navy ordered that figureheads were to be removed from all of it's ships. This came quickly for the Massachusetts as it's commission was lowered in 1910 and it was put into service as a training ship. When it came to light that the statue was lying around in a shipyard the state sought to have it returned.
The Boston Globe, Friday, March 7, 1913 page 15. |
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 | Victory Is Saved.
The Boston Evening Transcript, Thursday, March 6, 1913 page 2. |
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 | Victory
It is still being researched. Either the state of Massachusetts failed to follow through with getting the statue shipped back to them or, at some point after it was returned they sent it back to the Navy.
In any case the statue in now hanging in Dahlgren Hall at the US Naval Academy. |
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 | Dahlgren Hall at the US Naval Academy.
Dahlgren Hall at the US Naval Academy. |
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