SAN DIEGO, CA – Maritime Museum of San Diego, the 501c3 non-profit waterfront Museum with a mission to serve as the community memory of our seafaring experience by collecting, preserving, and presenting our rich maritime heritage and historic connections with the Pacific world, is opening a new satellite exhibit space as part of an ongoing effort by the Maritime Museum of San Diego to make its collections accessible and available to a broader public. Memories of the Greatest Generation features seventeen limited-edition photographs by the famed World War II-era photographer Edward Steichen and his fellow photographers will be on display at Maritime Museum of San Diego at Arts District Liberty Station at Quarters D, 2675 Rosecrans Street, Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92106 on select Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., beginning Saturday, August 2nd, 2025. Entry is free to the public.
Steichen and his team of photographers were commissioned by the U.S. Navy in 1942 to document the war in the Pacific and show the American people the efforts being made by the US Navy – sailors and marines – in that theater. According to Lisa Johnson, President & CEO, Arts District Liberty Station, “I’m thrilled to expand our long-standing partnership with the Maritime Museum of San Diego by establishing a satellite location in the Arts District Liberty Station. Even more exciting is the potential for this collaboration to grow further through ‘The Admiral’ project, where the developer plans to continue working closely with the Maritime Museum. This will create even more opportunities for engaging exhibits and cultural experiences. We’re confident this expansion will be a valuable asset for both residents and visitors to our region.”
Ken Stipanov, Maritime Museum of San Diego Board Chair, and a member of the Arts District Liberty Station Board of Directors spearheaded the partnership. “As someone who engages in each of these important anchoring organizations in this community, I am proud to support this initiative and am looking forward to seeing how this collaboration evolves. This is just the first step in an alliance to grow and benefit the arts and culture sector of our region.”
Steichen photographed the daily lives of military personnel, the ships on which they served, and the actions they participated in. Kevin Sheehan, Ph.D., Maritime Museum of San Diego Librarian and Curator for the exhibit, shared his enthusiasm for the imagery. “His work vividly captures life on board aircraft carriers, combat in the skies, and the brutal nature of island-hopping warfare. These images reveal not only conflict but also humanity, with poignant portraits of both ordinary enlistees and famous officers. The result is a lasting tribute to the lives and deeds of these members of the greatest generation.”
Steichen and his team created 15,000 photographs over a four-year period starting in 1942. In 1980, in honor of his birth, these photographs were allocated to several museums nationwide. The Maritime Museum of San Diego received over seventy limited-edition prints, some of which are featured in this exhibit. Christina Connett Brophy, Ph.D., Maritime Museum of San Diego President & CEO is grateful for the opportunity presented by the Arts District Liberty Station. “The ability to make our collections more accessible and pay tribute to the Armed Forces through this partnership is an exceptional opportunity for our institution. We believe this satellite location may lead more new visitors, members, students, and volunteers to become a part of the Maritime Museum of San Diego community as we move into a new vision and strategic evolution of our cultural and educational programming and exhibits.”