Items inside included an 1865 edition of Harper’s Weekly magazine with an clear image of a figure weeping over Abraham Lincoln’s grave; a Bible with a coin stuck to it; and a Richmond directory.
Kate Ridgeway, Virginia’s Archaeological Conservator and who led the box’s opening, said the artifact was a “little more wet than we had hoped for.”
Crews now will continue to work on preserving and researching the items that were found inside the capsule over the next couple of days and weeks.
History of the second time capsule
The copper box, according to DHR director Julie Langan, weighed 36 pounds and measured 13.5 inches by 13.5 inches by 7.5 inches and was found in a very wet area.
“We thought it was going to be soup, but it’s not soup,” Ridgeway said.
The capsule was then brought to the DHR’s conservation lab where conservators began assessing it, Langan said.
Richmond’s bomb squad was first consulted to make sure it was safe to open.
“It is a second time capsule and likely the one that was known to have been placed in the pedestal,” Langan said. “The one recovered last week was unexpected and likely left by men involved in the construction.”
The first time capsule that was found
The first capsule was found in the tower of the pedestal, about 20 feet above ground level. Among the items found inside were an 1875 almanac, two withered books, a coin and a cloth envelope.
The state plans to store the pedestal until officials decide what to do with the partial monument.
CNN’s Amir Vera, Paul P. Murphy, David Williams and Sharif Paget contributed to this report.
