Ron Marlett painted this portrait of the USS Miantonomoh for the family publishing company that was started by his younger brother Rich. The ship portrait was used to help promote the business, but limited edition prints and posters were never made of the painting. Ron was interested in the ship because it represented the beginning of modern naval architecture. The ship was launched at the end of the American Civil War and never saw combat. It was the Navy's first sea-going ironclad monitor and in 1866, the Miantonomoh and two steam powered gunboats, the USS Augusta and USS Ashuelot, embarked on a European diplomatic cruise that lasted 14 months. Ron kept the painting in his storage  where it was severely damaged during a winter storm in 2009. Ron found photographs of the ship on the internet and began to repaint the painting.  The ship's configuation was changed and more details were added  which included accurate 1866 flags.