Treasured Tools. Refined Resources. Turning Intellect, Math, Nature & Science into Beauty
San Diego, CA – The Maritime Museum of San Diego, renowned for its dedication to preserving and presenting the rich maritime heritage of the Pacific world, is delighted to announce the opening of its new Art of Navigation exhibit. The exhibit, housed in the Gould Eddy Gallery aboard the 1898 Victorian-era steam ferryboat Berkeley, will be available to visitors starting this summer. Admission to this intriguing exhibit is included with the general museum entry.
The Art of Navigation exhibit is a captivating exploration of the tools and techniques used by mariners during the great voyages of European exploration. This period, beginning in the mid-sixteenth century, marked the dawn of the Scientific Revolution when oceanic navigation became one of the rare disciplines applying mathematics and instruments tangibly and usefully. The exhibit highlights an array of period instruments, charts, and voyage accounts, beautifully illuminated by the work of documentary maritime artist Gordon Miller.
The Intersection of Art and Science
According to Raymond Ashley, Ph.D., K.C.I., President and CEO of the Maritime Museum of San Diego, navigation has always been a powerful and mysterious art. “As a powerful and mysterious art, navigation and the territorial claims of trade and empire it conveyed drew much of its authority and mastery from the same aesthetic as did all art,” explains Dr. Ashley. “The instruments, reference texts, and nautical charts which were its tools and products were therefore also objects of exquisite beauty.”
This exhibit showcases artifacts from a time when mathematics and instruments were often viewed skeptically by many scientists, who believed in the pure reliance on human observation as advocated by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. The artifacts on display offer a glimpse into a world where navigation was not just a technical skill but a blend of intellect, artistry, and practical application.
Enhancing the exhibit are exquisite models of storied ships from the museum’s own collections. These models represent vessels that played crucial roles in maritime history, including majestic full-scale operational versions such as the galleon San Salvador, the man-of-war H.M.S. Surprise, the schooner Californian, and the Maritime Museum of San Diego’s flagship, the Star of India. The Star of India, in particular, is a highlight as it is the world’s oldest active sailing ship, having completed twenty-one navigations around the earth.
In the era before photography, detailed landscapes and elevations of islands, coastlines, and harbor entrances were not only vital for navigation but also rivaled the finest examples of contemporary landscape art. These artworks provided navigational information and were among the first popular non-fiction genres made available to the masses by the invention of the printing press. They offered readers graphic renderings of strange places, animals, and peoples, along with stirring narratives of voyages that held readers enthralled.
Dr. Ashley emphasizes the dual role of ships as practical conveyances and as symbols of national prestige. “The ships themselves were not only practical conveyances of cargo, people, information, and military might but also of national prestige. Ships were designed to be just as beautiful as they were useful, since they were at the same time projections of power, identity, authority, and possession,” says Dr. Ashley. In an age when baroque embellishment was a statement of wealth and power, ships were among the most baroquely embellished objects created.
Visiting the Maritime Museum of San Diego
The Maritime Museum of San Diego is open daily and is located at Star of India wharf, 1492 N. Harbor Drive, between Grape and Ash Street. Visitors can explore the floating museum of ships along the north embarcadero and multiple below-deck exhibits with a single general admission ticket. General admission prices are $24.00 for adults, $18.00 for seniors, military, and students aged 13-17, and $12.00 for youth aged 3-12. Children under two enter for free. Tickets can be purchased in advance at sdmaritime.org or at the Museum Ticket Booth.
Additionally, visitors can enhance their experience with a 45-minute narrated Pilot boat Bay tour for an additional $10.00, available daily at scheduled times, subject to availability.
About the Maritime Museum of San Diego
The Maritime Museum of San Diego boasts a world-class collection of historic sailing ships, steam-powered boats, and a submarine, each offering entertaining and educational exhibits. The non-profit museum enjoys an international reputation for excellence in restoring, maintaining, and operating historic vessels. It offers self-guided tours, docent-guided group tours, tall ship charters, historic bay cruises, year-round public events, educational programs, and serves as a distinctive venue for corporate and private events.
For more information, visit the Maritime Museum of San Diego at 1492 North Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101-3309, call 619.234.9153 x101, or visit sdmaritime.org.
