The Hill Collection of Pacific Voyages enjoys pride of place among the distinguished research collections at UC San Diego. A gift to the university in 1974 from Kenneth E. and Dorothy V. Hill, the Hill Collection remains the most extensive gathering of publications that document early voyages of exploration and discovery in the Pacific. The strength of the original collection, combined with works that have been added since 1974, has made the collection a premier resource for scholars.

In addition to first editions of the great names of Pacific exploration—Anson, Cook, Bligh, Dampier, Vancouver, Costanso, Humboldt, and Bougainville, among others-- the collection includes fictional tales such as Robinson Crusoe, Gulliver’s Travels, and Moby Dick, as well as lurid tales of piracy.

It is the true tales of exploration and piracy in the Hill Collection that are the focus of this exhibition. Curated by Dr. Mark G. Hanna of the UC San Diego Department of History, the 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.