The lion’s head: Time capsule found in Boston statue

A time capsule has apparently been found in a rather unusual place: Inside the head of a lion statue at the building that once served as the seat of local government. The Bostonian Society, which operates a museum at the Old State House, in Boston, Massachusetts, said it confirmed the presence of what had long been rumored to be a time capsule from 1901 tucked away inside the copper statue. The statue overlooks the balcony from which the Declaration of Independence was read in 1776.

"We learned of the time capsule several years ago when a descendant of one of the original sculptors sent us a letter from her ancestor discussing the time capsule and listing its contents.

Heather Leet, the Bostonian Society’s director of development

A fiber optic camera was used to locate the time capsule, a copper box, in the head of the lion, according to Heather Leet, the society’s director of development. After being contacted by a descendant of the original sculptor, the society did some further research and uncovered a 1901 article about the time capsule in The Boston Globe, Leet said. Newspaper clippings and photographs from the period, along with letters from politicians and other prominent Bostonians of the era, are among the items expected to be found in the box, which could be opened as early as next week.

We are determining the best way to retrieve the time capsule without damaging the lion.

Heather Leet

Odd News