The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston has opened a 220-year-old time capsule, which holds a treasure trove of relics from the past.
On Tuesday, Jan. 6, officials at the MFA opened the brass box that contains coins, artifacts and documents that have been left behind in the time capsule by founding fathers of the U.S. Samuel Adams and Paul Revere. The 10-pound time capsule, which dates back to 1795, was found buried beneath the State House cornerstone in December 2014.
"The history of Massachusetts is the history of America," said William F. Galvin, the Secretary of the Commonwealth prior to opening the box.
Galvin noted that the items in the 5.5-inch by 7.5-inch brass box symbolized "great hope" for the founders.
When the officials opened the box, they found two dozen coins - including a 1652 Pine Tree Shilling. The box also contained a silver plate marking the day the box was placed inscribed by Paul Revere, who placed the capsule along with Adams and William Scollay in 1795.
The brass box also contained a Commonwealth paper seal, a bronze medal with George Washington portrayed on it, front pages of five newspapers - two of which appeared to be "The Boston Daily" and "The Boston Traveller" per conservationists. The box also contained the folded title page from the Massachusetts Colony Records and calling cards.
Since the 1-inch deep box was packed quite densely, some of the items inside were not preserved perfectly. The coins for instance had newsprint stuck on them. However, the papers in the box were in "amazingly good condition."
Technically, the box is not a time capsule as it did not have an end date. When the box was opened, the first few items that came out were from 1855. It is believed that officials who stumbled on the box at the time added coins and newspapers to the original matter. They then placed the box back in its original spot.
Galvin has let on that the items will be on display at the MFA for a certain period. However, they would be eventually buried underneath the State House cornerstone where they were found, with more items from the era added for a future generation.
