On Wednesday, March 11, the Museum of Fine Arts will publicly display the contents of the 1795 time capsule uncovered from the State House cornerstone in December 2014.
Aptly called Inside the Box: Massachusetts State House Time Capsule Revealed, the exhibit will run from March 11 through April 22 in the MFA’s Art of the Americas Wing.
On January state officials, museum staff and conservators opened up the time capsule for the first time since 1855. Stashed inside was a wealth of history and insight including old coins, one of which dates back to 1652; engraved silver plates; morning newspapers and a George Washington medal, to name just a few.
“This is the most exciting [project] I’ve ever worked on,” said Pam Hatchfield (head of objects conservation at the MFA), who’s previously worked on items as old as 4,000 years in ancient Egypt, during the time capsule opening. “It helps reestablish our history.”
Hatchfield spent seven hours excavating the time capsule from the cornerstone of the State House.
Adding to the allure of this time capsule is the fact that its entombment was overseen by celebrated revolutionaries Paul Revere and then-Governor Sam Adams.
Revere, Grand Master of the Freemason Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, conducted a ceremony at the invitation of Adams and was joined by William Scollay.
In 1855, maintenance and expansion to the State House revealed the forgotten time capsule which was then extracted. The items were removed, documented cleaned and reinterred with the addition of ceremonial coins which were discovered by Hatchfield during excavation.
“The installation at the MFA explores the significance of the objects found in the capsule and the role of the prominent figures involved in both the original burial in 1795, and reburial in 1855,” said the MFA in a statement. “Surrounded by related works of art on view throughout the Wing, visitors will also see portraits of Samuel Adams and Paul Revere by John Singleton Copley, coins identical to those in the time capsule, and other historical objects in nearby galleries.”
