Recently, a time capsule estimated to be 100 years old was discovered at Baltimore’s Washington Monument during a restoration program. The capsule is a sealed copper box, which was found behind a plaque that commemorated the monument’s centennial on Defender’s Day, Sept. 12, 1915.
The initial discovery of the capsule was made on ct. 16, while project superintendent George Wilk II was examining how the plaque was attached to the wall.
“I removed the plaque just enough to stick my hand behind the plaque to stick a camera back there and take a photo. In the photo showed a box so I reattached the plaque and called Dr. Humphries to let him know that were was a box in the niche behind the plaque,” Wilk told ABC affiliate WMAR in Baltimore.
“We were hoping that the plaster in the niche might give us clues as to the appearance of the original plaster in the museum room. Little did we realize that there was an actual time capsule stashed behind the plaque,” Lance Humphries said in a statement.
The Mount Vernon Place Conservancy believes the capsule may contain copies of commemorate programs, issues of The Sun newspaper, and other items. It is possible that whatever the capsule contains is in poor condition due to being exposed to the monument’s dampness for the last century.
According to the conservancy, the capsule will be moved to Walters Art Museum nearby, where conservators will assess its condition and determine when it will be safe to open the box.