“Remember The Maine” Antiques

These great little glass replicas of the Maine were manufactured and sold full of candy by the Victoria Glass Company, Pa. (I’m unsure of this relates to the original or to the replica). They are about 7 inches long, 2.5 inches wide and about 3 inches high. The clear item pictured is an original from 1898/1899.

These were later reproduced (sometime in the 1930’s) in various colours (cobalt blue, green, pink, purple). The reproductions typically have oval shaped smoke stacks (whereas they are round on the original) and do not have stars in the banner on the bough.

Both the original and newer reproductions have an impressive amount of detail with gun turrets, portholes and a large starburst pattern on the bottom.

The Maine exploded in Havana Harbor on February 15th 1898 and the US blamed the Spanish for the sinking and the subsequent deaths of 254 men. The sinking of the Maine resulted in the Spanish-American war and the subsequent control and occupation of the Philippines by the U.S.

These and many other items including posters, belt buckles, pipes, plates and many other household items were all used to stir American patriotism and to gain support for what would become known as the Spanish-American war. There was even a song “My Sweetheart Went Down with the Maine”.