The world-wide array of magnetic observatories produces data useful for a variety of applications, including applications related to space weather. Many of these observatories, and all of those of the US Geological Survey, are operated according to standards established by the Intermagnet consortium. Intermagnet also plays an important role in assisting with the modernization of observatories, especially those in developing countries, so that needed standards can be met and so that the scientific community can be better served. Efforts continue to improve the network: the geographic distribution of the observatories is slowing being augmented, in Russia, China, and in the Southern Hemisphere, and the temporal resolution of the observatory data is being improved, with many programs now moving toward a one-second acquisition cadence. The history of the observatory network is briefly reviewed and examples of observatory data are given showing signals across a wide range of timescales, and, in particular, data recording the October-November 2003 storm.