Hong Kong's weathered past goes on display
Strange gadgets and wartime grit - a 130-year celebration of the Observatory
In days gone by, typhoon warnings came in the form of big balloons rising above the city and the firing of guns - all part of the gadgetry and history on show at an exhibition celebrating the Hong Kong Observatory's 130th anniversary.
There is also an antique pendulum that was Hong Kong's official timekeeper from 1950 to 1966, and early hand-drawn weather charts.
An antique barometer that has just come in from London, the old wartime diaries of incarcerated Observatory officials and historical illustrations of past devastating typhoons are among the most exciting exhibits we are proud to showcase
Benjamin Evans was the Observatory's director in the thick of the second world war and ended up in Stanley prison camp during the Japanese occupation. His notes chronicling rainfall and temperature on the back of a cigarette pack can be seen behind one of the glass displays.
The exhibition, at the Hong Kong Museum of History in Tsim Sha Tsui, also features the wartime diary of Graham Heywood, who was to become the Observatory's director in 1946. He was incarcerated by the Japanese in Sham Shui Po prison camp, and his entries show "his positive attitude on life, despite the prolonged hardship and adversity".
Shun Chi-ming, the current director, says that the exhibition also aims to "look back on Hong Kong's historical weather disasters … so as to enhance public awareness and preparedness against such disastrous events and to combat climate change".
Sandy Song Man-kuen, senior scientific officer of the Observatory, said that some exhibits had never been put on display before in Hong Kong.
"An antique barometer that has just come in from London, the old wartime diaries of incarcerated Observatory officials and historical illustrations of past devastating typhoons are among the most exciting exhibits we are proud to showcase," he said.
"The Hong Kong Observatory - Under the Same Sky 130 Years" exhibition runs until September 2. Admission is free.
