Yesterday, historians and researchers at the New-York Historical Society opened this elegant bronze time capsule, entrusted to the New-York Historical Society by the Lower Wall Street Business Men’s Association in 1914. So 100 years later, what’s in the box?
Crowd gathered for the opening of the time capsule (Seth Newcom/New-York Historical Society)
Opening the capsule (Seth Newcom/New-York Historical Society)
Organizing the contents (Seth Newcom/New-York Historical Society)
The contents displayed (Seth Newcom/New-York Historical Society)
New York Tribune found in the capsule (Seth Newcom/New-York Historical Society)
Given that this was a Wall Street Business association, the contents often reflected that. There was the 25th Annual Report for the Coffee Exchange of the City of New York, records from the Chamber of Commerce, the directory for the New York Stock Exchange, and various trade journals. There were also numerous newspapers, which showed the important headlines of the day (like the latest about the Mexican Civil War).
But that wasn’t all that took place. Our Student Historians also created a time capsule of their own! To be opened in 2114, the capsule is filled with objects that represent life in New York and America today. Objects include a MetroCard, flyers and buttons from the Occupy Wall Street movement, an Amazon Kindle, the box for the iPhone 6, and an MTA Subway map. Tell us, what would you put in a Time Capsule today?
Objects to go in the Student Historians’ time capsule (Seth Newcom/New-York Historical Society)