A time capsule that had been hidden in the head of a lion statue atop a historical landmark for more than a century yielded one surprise Thursday — a hardcover book.
The Bostonian Society had expected the time capsule to include letters, newspaper clippings and other items from 1901, the year it was placed in the statue on the Old State House. Papers were found, along with the red book inside the copper box roughly the size of a shoebox.
The book had no visible markings, and nothing was taken out of the box because of the items’ fragile condition. So, the contents of the book remain a mystery, for now.
That there was no mould or water damage inside the box thrilled Bostonian Society president Brian LeMay.
Mr. LeMay said he was “absolutely delighted” with the conditions inside the box.
The time capsule was sealed inside the lion’s head since 1901 and then forgotten until recently. Rumours of its existence were confirmed last month when the statue was taken down from the Old State House for refurbishing.
The delicate removal of the box took place at a sculpting studio in suburban Woburn.
Robert Shure, owner of Skylight Studio, first removed a crown atop the copper and gold-leaf lion’s head, cut cables holding the box in place inside the head, and removed the rectangular box.
Elizabeth Roscio, the society’s archivist, said the box will be brought to an environmentally-controlled setting where the contents can be carefully removed and studied. They will be put on public display at a later date. — AP
The plan is to put a new time capsule in the lion’s head, this one made of titanium.
The society is currently soliciting suggestions of what to put in it, but said one item will be a medal from the 2013 Boston Marathon, during which three people and 260 were injured in a bombing.