Name/Title
Portrait of Matthew Calbraith PerryEntry/Object ID
2020.01.0249Description
Black and white portrait photograph of U.S. Navy Commodore Matthew C. Perry. Perry placed in commission and commanded U.S.S. SHARK, a schooner with 12 guns, from 1821 to 1825.
In 1822, John W. Simonton lobbied Washington to establish a naval base on Key West both to take advantage of its strategic location and to bring law and order to the area. On March 25, 1822, Perry sailed SHARK to Key West and planted the U.S. flag, physically claiming the Florida Keys as United States territory. Perry renamed Cayo Hueso 'Thompson's Island' for the Secretary of the Navy Smith Thompson and the harbor 'Port Rodgers' for the president of the Board of Navy Commissioners.Photograph Details
Subject Person or Organization
United States NavyCollection
Photograph CollectionMade/Created
Date made
circa 1820Time Period
19th CenturyLexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Secondary Object Term
Photograph, Black-and-WhiteNomenclature Primary Object Term
PhotographNomenclature Sub-Class
Graphic DocumentsNomenclature Class
Documentary ObjectsNomenclature Category
Category 08: Communication ObjectsCondition
Reason for Exam
At AcquisitionOverall Condition
Good