SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The Maritime Museum of San Diego opened a new satellite exhibit space Saturday as part of its ongoing effort to make collections more accessible.
Starting Aug. 2, 2025, the museum will debut “Memories of the Greatest Generation,” featuring 17 limited‑edition photographs by renowned World War II–era photographer Edward Steichen and his team. The exhibit is housed at Arts District Liberty Station in Quarters D. It is open to the public on select Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with no admission fee.
Lisa Johnson, president and CEO of Arts District Liberty Station, said she is “thrilled to expand our long‑standing partnership” with the Maritime Museum.
Commissioned by the U.S. Navy in 1942, Steichen and his team documented naval operations in the Pacific during World War II to show the American people the efforts being made by the US Navy – sailors and marines – in that theater.
Ken Stipanov, chair of the Maritime Museum board and a member of the Arts District Liberty Station board, 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," he said. "This is just the first step in an alliance to grow and benefit the arts and culture sector of our region.”
Librarian and curator for the exhibit, Kevin Sheehan, Ph.D., described the photographs as vividly capturing life aboard aircraft carriers, combat in the skies and the brutal reality of island‑hopping warfare. “These images reveal not only conflict but also humanity, with poignant portraits of both ordinary enlistees and famous officers," Sheehan said. "The result is a lasting tribute to the lives and deeds of these members of the Greatest Generation.”
