All Hands on Deck: Edward Steichen and the WWII Naval Photographic Unit

Visitors are invited into a up-close view of World War II told through the eyes of one of the 20th century's most influential photographers and his team from inside the U.S. Navy. The black-and-white photographs document the life of sailors and aviators during WWII, featuring images such as the curve of a carrier deck in the sun, sailors resting in their cots, Marines moving through scorched terrain, and Japanese torpedo bomber planes bursting into flame. The exhibition features unique aspects of Steichen's editorial process, including prints with notes made by Steichen before sending in for editing, where visitors can see his compositional choices such as tighter focus on faces, deepened shadows, and directional eye flow.