A time capsule from 1920 was reveled at the Buffalo History Museum Friday.
The contents were found inside of a sealed copper box in the foundation of “The Hiker” statue located on the 500-block of Main Street. The items include the front pages of a newspaper dated May 29, 1920, the book “The Hiker,” a United States flag with 48 stars, and the first annual report of the city planning committee.
“For them to find that and do no damage to the actual time capsule itself was very exciting. You take a bunch of contractors with their heavy equipment and they we’re handling this thing like a newborn baby,” said the Commissioner of Buffalo’s Department of Public Works Steve Stepniak.
Mayor Byron Brown says the city didn’t know the time capsule was there, because there was no written record of it.
“The time capsule shows a glimpse into the past. While Buffalo is on the move, with over $4.3 billion in new economic development activity underway, a piece of Buffalo’s history is being revealed. It’s interesting to see what city residents in 1920 thought would be interesting and important to us,” said Brown.
The capsule was originally examined by professional conservators from the Buffalo State College Art Conservation Department, but the contents were so water-damaged and moldy they were taken to the Buffalo History Museum to be salvaged.
Executive Director of the Buffalo History Museum Melissa Brown there are several other items that were in the box that haven’t been displayed yet because they have active mold on them. Those will be treated before they’re added to the collection.
In 1920, when the capsule was placed under the statue, residents took part in celebration ceremony at the Statler Hotel. The city’s population then was 506,000 people.
The museum plans to re-encapsulate the salvageable items into a new time capsule, which will also include items from 2014.
The capsule contents are now on display at the Buffalo History Museum.