He
Mo'olelo o ka Hale Kilo
An
Oral History of the Observatory
CFHT's Oral
History Initiative
By Liz Bryson, CFHT Librarian
In
July 2002, I was attending LISA
IV, an international astronomy librarians' meeting in Prague, Czech
Republic. During the conference,
Peter Hingley, librarian for the Royal Astronomical Society, delivered
a talk entitled, "The
Past in the Present-Some Thoughts on the Preservation of Historical
Material in Active Observatories." This presentation made me
realize that CFHT (Canada-France-Hawaii
Telescope Corporation), like many observatories, had not only had
a story to tell, but a unique one that needed to be saved. As I was
still mulling my options, the urgency of this project became more of
a reality when, in January 2003, the Mt. Stromlo Observatory in Canberra,
Australia, met its untimely end due to a fire which destroyed most of
the observatory, including all detailed historical accounts of any of
the telescopes. It was at this point that I decided to embark
on a project which, as far as I know, has never been attempted by any
observatory: to capture the entire history of an observatory through
the use of video camera and tapes.
But
how to begin? And who could
I turn to for advice?
Fortunately,
Dr. Warren Nishimoto, head of the Oral History department at the University
of Hawaii, Manoa, agreed to meet with me and offered several invaluable
insights as to where I might start. In addition, the oral history department sells
a very clear and concise book for beginners entitled How to Do Oral History
(3rd edition). Dr. Nishimoto also suggested I meet with Walter
Dudley, Professor of Marine Geology/Oceanography, at the University
of Hawaii, Hilo, known throughout the world for his oceanographic research
expeditions who has also spent several years interviewing survivors
and witnesses of the 1946 Big Island tsunami. As a result of these interviews,
Dr. Dudley was eventually able to recreate these events for the public
through the establishment of the Pacific
Tsunami Museum in Hilo. During my conversations with Dr. Dudley,
I learned a dizzying amount of information that included everything
from equipment purchases ("Make sure you buy a good microphone!")
to what constitutes a clear interview ("Watch out for the wind
and refrigerators that turn on in the back ground!").
Having
begun the groundwork with Dr. Nishimoto and Dr. Dudley, I realized I
needed to establish criteria for the project. For instance: What years did I want to cover?
Who would be interviewed and how would the interviews be conducted?
What kinds of equipment would I use? Subsequently, a list of
interviewees was established, equipment was purchased, and the major
objectives were outlined as follows:
1.
The purpose of this endeavor is a systematic attempt to interview
significant people to capture their first-hand knowledge of special
historical developments and experiences at CFHT during the years 1977-1990.
2.
The final result of this endeavor will be the creation of a DVD
of interviewee snippets, anecdotal pictures, and mementos from those
early years. The DVD, in celebration of CFHT's twenty-fifth
anniversary, will be distributed in 2005 to all former and present employees.
However,
since its inception, the project has evolved into a full-scale production.
In addition to the development of a DVD, this past summer I hired
Winter Anderson, now a freshman film major at Chapman College, to film
an MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) that shows his ascent in the
observatory's dome crane. He thereby simulated a technologic event that
is no longer used by astronomers for observing the heavens. The MPEG mini film is a feature of the December
2003 HOKU, an online astronomy newsletter for parents and educators.
Recently,
I surmised that if the project is to finish in a timely fashion, I will
need other people's expertise. Thus, Richard Crowe, Professor of Astronomy
at the University of Hawaii-Hilo, and formerly an astronomer at CFHT,
introduced me to Big Island native, Serette Kaminski, 1999 graduate
of Konawaena High School. Serette,
who is currently in her senior year at UH, is working on her Bachelor's
degree with a double major in Astronomy and Administration of Justice.
She will write her senior thesis on CFHT's instrument development from
1977-1990. The paper will address the instruments' most significant
accomplishments, including the names of individual(s) who either developed
or used the instrument. This
study will be an invaluable resource for the astronomical community,
that, during this particular era, witnessed the advent of CCDs (Charge-Coupled
Devices) and the demise of photographic plates and electronic cameras. CFHT, as part of its continuing commitment to provide opportunities
for island students, will pay the cost of Serette's course credits for
this independent project.
At
this point, I would be remiss in not mentioning the incredible support
and mentoring that I've received from Hawaii
Preparatory Academy's film guru, George Watson. I have also hired
two wonderful and dogged souls, Pam Potter and Beth Fulton, to transcribe
the interview tapes. These interviews will be available, in PDF format,
for the public's perusal at the CFHT
Library web site (currently undergoing an upgrade).
The
project is finally underway, and, thus far, every interview has been
different. The stories, humorous, nostalgic, sad capture a sense of
astronomical history that can never be duplicated. I especially hope that Big Island residents
will enjoy experiencing the legacy of CFHT and the people who made it
all happen.
Footnote:
Thanks to all my colleagues on Oahu who showed up for the talk
at the East-West Center in February. In spite of horrid weather, you
managed to not only attend the event, but also stay until the end!
And special thanks to Phyllis and Terese, who survived the trials
and tribulations of (my) stolen laptop, several software failures, and
the storm. Definitely an event we shall all remember for
years to come!
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