THE PUBLIC IS getting its first glimpse inside a time capsule dating to 1795 and believed placed by Samuel Adams and other Revolutionary War figures.
Officials already have a good idea of the contents, which will be displayed tonight at 6pm local time at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
The original capsule was made of cowhide and believed to have been embedded in a cornerstone when construction on the state Capitol building began in 1795. Revolutionary leader and Declaration of Independence signatory Samuel Adams was governor at the time.
The contents were shifted to a copper box in 1855 which was unearthed last month at the Statehouse. Officials say old records and X-rays taken in December after the box was located and removed indicate it contains old coins, documents, newspapers and a metal plate owned by Paul Revere.
The main mystery has been the condition of the items, which experts believe partially deteriorated over time.
Pamela Hatchfield, a conservator at the museum, said the capsule initially was unearthed accidentally in 1855 when some modifications were made to the building.
Officials acknowledge the items might not be in great shape.
Secretary of State William Galvin said notes from that era indicated that officials washed some of the contents with acid before putting them in the new copper box. He also said records show it was a humid day when the items were restored and the corner of the Statehouse where the capsule was reinstalled has had a water leakage problem for decades.
It’s the second time capsule to resurface in Boston in recent months.
In October, a capsule dating to 1901 was uncovered in a lion statue adorning the Old State House. That contained newspaper clippings, letters and a book on foreign policy.
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