All images via Bostonian Society

 

Though last week, October 9, the Bostonian Society and artist Bob Shure opened the highly-anticipated 113-year old Boston time capsule, it was a bittersweet moment. Though spectators played witness to a red, leather-bound book that hadn’t seen the light of day since 1901, the lead archivist opted not to remove it or the rest of the capsule’s contents.

The book, secured between pieces of well-preserved paper and equally sustained as a result, was unwilling to budge without even the slightest force. As a result, archivist Elizabeth Roscio decided it best to extract all of the items in a cleaner environment. 

On Wednesday, October 15, the Bostonian Society finally announced turn-of-the-century Bostonians thought future generations eventually ought to see.

“We were super excited,” Bostonian Society director of development Heather Leet told me in an email. “Everything is in really great condition.”

On Tuesday, Roscio began cataloguing the items and made an official inventory of them all. Everything was placed in an in acid-free folder and soon archival scans and photographs will also be taken.

“There was little fading of ink or deterioration of paper quality, which she ascribed to the fact that the time capsule was sealed so tight that neither air nor water were able to penetrate it,” noted the Bostonian Society in a press release.

As expected, Roscio found old news clippings from the period, campaign buttons for the Republican administration headed by William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt, photographs of former Boston mayors and other politicos, a letter to posterity and other sealed letters.

One such letter, labeled “A message to posterity from the daily newspapers at City Hall,” is unsealed as is one from C.W. Ernest, Esq. Mayor’s Private Secretary, Boston, Mass. and from the Boston Traveler.

There’s also a nail from the Old South Church, as well as one from the Old State House and various other cards, buttons and photographs.

On Wednesday, October 22, media will be invited to the Old State House for a preview showing of items from the time capsule.

The full inventory is listed as such:

·        Foreign Relations of the United States, 1896 (hardback book)

·         Blank packing paper 

·         “Wood removed from the Old Lion age of same 21 years in 1900” (notation hand-written on reverse of business card for American Painting & Decorating Co. and tacked onto the back of the piece of wood)

·         Cabinet card of Mayor A.P. Martin [Mayor 1884] with inscription “Yours truly” 

·         Photograph of Nathan Matthews, Junior [Mayor 1891-94] 

·         Photograph of Josiah Quincy [Mayor 1896-1899]

·         Photograph of Edwin Curtis [Mayor 1895]

·         Sealed letter inscribed “A message to posterity from the daily newspapers at City Hall”

·         Sealed letter from C.W. Ernest, Esq. Mayor’s Private Secretary, Boston, Mass.

·         Sealed letter from the Boston Traveler

·         McKinley and Roosevelt campaign button

·         Campaign button for John D. Long, candidate for Vice-President

·         Samuel L. Powers for Congress campaign button

·         Nail from Old South Church, and a nail from the Old State House

·         Unsealed letter from A.J. Rodway, describing the heraldic seal with the Lion and Unicorn

·         The Banker Tradesman – pages listing the financial, legal, real estate, and building information,  Vol xxix, No. 4, February 20, 1901

·         Boston Daily Globe, February 16, 1901 advertisement of circulation

·         Boston Transcript, February 19, 1901, from Edw. G. Richardson, City Hall Representative

·         The Boston Post, February 19, 1901 and February 21, 1901

·         The Boston Herald, February 21, 1901, with leaflets of advertisings rates

·         Electrotype of Boston Herald, Herald Boy

·         Miniature electrotype of Boston Herald from April 11, 1900

·         Die cut for printing of the Boston Herald building, 255 Washington Street

·         Cabinet card of Moses Gulesian, (donor of lion and unicorn statues)

·         Blank piece of letterhead from M.H. Gulesian

·         Business cards for S.D. Rogers & Co (Carpenters and Builders), Mr. Edwin H. Woods (Publisher and Treasurer of the Boston Herald), G. Fred Richmond (Boston Herald), and John A. W. Silver (Deputy Superintendent of Public Buildings)

·         ‘Organization of the School Committee of the City of Boston,’ 1901 (pamphlet)

·         Card with inscription “Geo. G. Proctor, 665 Sixth St., South Boston, Mass”

·         Parchment scroll listing employees of the Public Buildings Department, February 1901

·         Bill for tuition and one piece of music, January 1, 1901 signed by John A. Silver

·         Group photograph of individuals who worked on restoration of the Old State House, February 19, 1901

·         Grand Army of the Republic lapel button

·         Grand Army of the Republic badge

·         Boston Journal, photograph showing the 5th Massachusetts regiment

·         Fernald Family History, on electrotype?

·         Veterans button [GAR?]

·         Six photographs of GAR officials [these are pages cut out of a publication]

·         Cabinet card of W. Murray Crane, Governor

·         Cabinet card of John B. Smith, Governor’s Secretary

·         Cabinet card of C.G. Davis, Sergeant at Arms

·         Cabinet card of William W. Campbell, Deputy Sheriff

·         Cabinet card of Thomas Hart, Mayor

·         Cabinet card of Milton C. Paige, Superintendent of Public Buildings

·         Cabinet card of John A. W. Silver, Deputy Superintendent of Public Buildings

·         Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Department Directory, 1901

·         Letter from American Painting and Decorating Company about the work done on the Old State House, February 18, 1901