The photograph shows the Old Harbor with a steam powered ferry docked. The artificially constructed breakwater harbor, visible beyond the ferry, was completed in 1876. Regular ferry service to the island began in 1874. The reverse of this photograph is captioned, "Block island: Old Harbor, Block island." (Jordy, W. H., Onorato, R. J., & Woodward, W. M. K. (2004). Buildings of Rhode Island (Ser. Buildings of the United States). New York. p. 604-606.)