photo by: Contributed

Photographs detailing two historic Lawrence weather events make up the Watkins Museum's newest exhibition, “Lawrence in the Path of Destruction.”

The Watkins Museum of History will open a new temporary exhibition that will feature photography from two historic weather events that impacted Lawrence.

The museum announced in a press release Monday the new exhibition, called “Lawrence in the Path of Destruction,” will open Tuesday. The exhibition marks the 115th anniversary of the 1911 tornado, which brought heavy damage to the industrial sector of Massachusetts Street, and the 75th anniversary of severe flooding along the Kansas River during the summer of 1951, building to the July 13, 1951 event known as “Black Friday” when North Lawrence and rural farms suffered great damage.

Andrew Stockmann, the museum’s curator of exhibitions, said the exhibition uses the museum’s rich photography collection to highlight the aftermath of damage caused by the two severe weather events. Stockmann said the photographs and first-hand accounts from survivors or newspapers are “heart-wrenching,” but the recovery effort after the storms “showcases the still-present community spirit necessary to rebuild after tragedy.”

Along with the photography and collected accounts, the exhibition will also feature severe weather awareness tips and historical weather forecasting information that was provided by Daniel Reese, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Topeka branch.

The exhibition will be on display from Tuesday, May 18 until July 18. The Watkins Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Admission to the museum is free.

photo by: Austin Hornbostel/Journal-World

The Watkins Museum of History is pictured Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022.