The single-screw steamer Ponce was built for the New York & Porto Rico Steamship Company by Harlan & Hollingsworth of Wilmington, Delaware, in 1899. Registered at 3,506 tons, she measured 317 feet in length with a 42 foot beam, and could make 12 knots at full steam. With accomodation for 70 First and 30 Class passengers, she sailed the New York to West Indies route for many years and was reportedly sold to Chinese owners in 1956 after which she was renamed.

Despite her long service life, the most interesting episode in Ponce's career actually took place in September 1899 whilst the ship was running her trials off the eastern seaboard of the U.S.A. These trials co-incided with year's America's Cup races and the Italian wireless pioneer Signor Marconi, who had agreed to report the races for the New York Herald, chose Ponce as his floating headquarters. The first ever ship-to-shore wireless telegraph message within the United States was transmitted from Ponce on 29 September 1899 when she was in New York harbour participating in the naval parade to welcome Admiral Dewey home from his victorious campaign in the Philippines. This was reported in the next day's newspaper and the next days's newspaper and the America's Cup race reports followed thereafter. A photocopied extract from the New York Herald of
30 September 1899, together with other confirmatory evidence of the above, accompanies the painting in the sale.