The main draw of the Coronado Museum is its art collection. The museum is broken up into different exhibits, each of which focuses on a different part of the collection.
Previous exhibits have included: Uprooted: The Story of the Japanese Americans of Coronado, The League of Wives: Vietnam’s POW/MIA Allies & Advocates, Wings of Gold: Coronado and Naval Aviation, and Coronado’s Golden Age of Film.
Let’s have a closer look at what’s currently on display.
An Island Looks Back: Uncovering Coronado’s Hidden African-American History
The museum’s latest exhibit, An Island Looks Back, explores the remarkable yet often overlooked stories of African Americans who played a significant role among the early pioneers who shaped Coronado’s foundation.
These African Americans laid down their roots in the area, built successful businesses, owned property, became civic leaders at the state level, and served in the military, among many other notable accomplishments, while still struggling with segregation and discrimination in their schools, the military, and housing.
Photograph Collection
The Coronado Museum contains an astounding 20,000 historical photographs capturing moments from the lives of people throughout history.
The photo catalog includes everything from snapshots of historic events to the more mundane, like everyday activities of Coronado’s residents. See historical and aerial photographs of Orange Avenue, Coronado’s ferries, the Coronado-San Diego Bay Bridge, Hotel del Coronado, the Historic Tent City Resort and more.
If you like a particular photo, you can request a reproduction and take it home with you to commemorate your trip!
Manuscript Archives
The manuscript archives are full of first-hand accounts and documents from people and businesses that called Coronado their home. The archives contain papers from local companies, clubs, organizations, local government, and even personal papers.
Two standout manuscripts are the personal notes of Katherine Carlin and files from the Coronado Beach Company. Carlin authored Coronado: The Enchanted Island, a book that details local history. The Coronado Beach Company was owned by John D. Spreckels, who invested in the San Diego and Arizona Railway as well as the beautiful Hotel del Coronado.
Maps of Coronado
The museum’s map collection doesn’t just contain topographic and geographic maps of Coronado. It also contains maps of different construction lots, railroads, bridges, and even tree planting maps.
These provide more insight into how Coronado used to look and how it has changed over time.
The Stockdale Family Collection
James Stockdale was a US Navy admiral who lived in Coronado with his wife Sybil Stockdale. He was a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War, where he was an aviator until he was shot down, captured, and eventually returned to the US over seven years later.
The Coronado Museum contains various artifacts from the Stockdale family’s lives, as well as educational information about their lives. These items include a prisoner of war smock and tin cup, both owned by Admiral Stockdale and later donated to the museum.