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1914 Time Capsule Collection

Call Number

MS 2995

Date

1614 - 1914, inclusive

Creator

Extent

2.6 Linear feet

Language of Materials

The documents in the collection are in English.

Abstract

Collection of material from a Time Capsule created in 1914 by the Lower Wall Street Business Men's Association.

Biographical / Historical

The term "time capsule" was first used at New York World's Fair in 1939, but the practice of preserving materials in a sealed box to help future generations understand the past dates back to at least 1876, when a proto-time capsule was introduced at the Philadelphia Exposition. In 1914, another early time capsule was created by a group of merchants called the Lower Wall Street Business Men's Association. It was launched on May 23, 1914 as a part of the tri-centennial celebrations of the New Netherland Company's chartering in 1614 and the beginnings of Dutch North American colonialism. The time capsule was placed in a richly ornamented bronze casket which was ceremoniously enclosed by a former mayor and entrusted to the New York Historical Society. The chest was to remain sealed until the year 1974, the bicentennial of New York's appeal for the colonies to form a union, but it was forgotten in a storage site until the late 1990s. Historians decided to wait until the 100th year anniversary to open it since they had already missed the intended date. Upon its opening on October 8th 2014, it was possibly the oldest unopened time capsule in the world.

To keep the tradition alive, N-YHS created a new time capsule in 2014 with the help of local students, who selected items that reflect life in the early 21st century for the education of New Yorkers a hundred years in the future.

Arrangement

This collection has been arranged into three series by subject: 1. Publications and pamphlets 2. Newspapers 3. Loose documents

Scope and Contents

The time capsule included books, pamphlets, newspapers, medals, and a copy of a pre-Revolutionary War letter from 1774. A telegram from Governor Martin Glynn to his successor in 1974 was also enclosed, with a message expressing "hope and good will" that the challenges he faced would be solved by then. Other items include a portrait, lithograph, and related loose documents. All items in the time capsule have been very well preserved.

Access Restrictions

Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Conditions Governing Use

Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff.

Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.

Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions

Location of Materials

Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Provenance

Gift of the Lower Wall Street Business Men's Association, 1914.

Collection processed by

Megan Dolan

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 15:48:32 -0400.
Language: Description is in English

Repository

New-York Historical Society
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024