Like other Europeans, Germans ventured into the Pacific to explore the vast landmasses bordering the globe’s largest ocean as well as the innumerable islands scattered in between. They came as missionaries in the seventeenth century to be joined later on by scientific explorers, colonialists, entrepreneurs, and world travelers.

Seafaring Treasures from Special Collections & Archives

This exhibition illustrates sea life during the “golden age of piracy,” as well as more modern works that demonstrate the continuing influence of pirates in popular culture.

Centuries before it became a thriving maritime and beach community, San Diego existed at the outskirts of massive empires administered by Spain, then Mexico, and eventually the United States.

Images from the Art of Science Contest

Stamps of the Spanish Civil War from Special Collections & Archives

Stamps included in this exhibit shed light on life in Spain during the Civil War. The wide variety of publishers they represent and the causes they support characterize the marketplace of ideas that dominated life during the Spanish Civil War.