On 29 August 1908 Melbourne gaped in wonder as 16 white-hulled battleships of the United States Atlantic Fleet, carrying 14,000 naval personnel, steamed into Port Phillip Bay. The ‘Great White Fleet’ was circumnavigating the globe on a tour launched by President Theodore Roosevelt. The cruise was a display of naval power and practical exercise, testing the battle-readiness of the US Navy and demonstrating its ability to patrol and protect the west coast and American interests in the Pacific including Australia.An original unframed photograph of the United States Altantic Fleet entering Port Phillip Bay in 1908 and a copy framed and mounted under glass.Port Phillip Bay 1908; United States Atlantic Fleetthe great white fleet, us atlantic fleet, 1908, port phillip bay