Richmond, VA Robert E Lee statue time capsule

[masraum]

Interesting. They were looking for one time capsule that they didn't find, but they found another that was smaller.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/time-capsule-found-beneath-richmond-robert-lee-monument-confound-historians-180979295/

In September of this year, after more than a year of protest and legal struggles, workers in Richmond, Virginia, took down the towering 19th-century statue of Robert E. Lee, the last of six controversial Confederate memorials to be removed from the city’s Monument Avenue. A time capsule dated to 1887 was subsequently discovered in the statue’s pedestal—and on Wednesday, following five hours of delicate work by historic preservation experts, the lead box was pried open, revealing a curious assortment of artifacts.

Among the items preserved in the 134-year-old capsule were a British silver coin, an 1875 almanac, three books and a cloth envelope, according to the Associated Press. A letter and a photograph of James Netherwood, a stonemason who worked on the statue’s pedestal, was also uncovered, reports Eduardo Medina for the New York Times.

The artifacts were water damaged from moisture that had collected inside the box and “will be put in the freezer to prevent any further deterioration,” Katherine Ridgway, a conservator at Virginia Department of Historic Resources, tells WTVR.

The capsule was found last week inside a 1,500-pound block of granite located in the tower of the pedestal, around 20 feet above ground level. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, who was given the honor of lifting the box’s lid, called the occasion “an important day for the history of Richmond and Virginia”—even though the contents don’t seem to have much historical significance and the capsule recovered was not in fact the one experts had been hoping to find.

Newspaper accounts from 1887 tell of a capsule, reportedly placed beneath the Lee statue, that contains a rare photo of Abraham Lincoln in his coffin, but no such photo was discovered in the recently unearthed box. Records from the Library of Virginia also indicate that 37 Richmond residents, organizations, and businesses contributed around 60 objects to a capsule; the one found last week contains far fewer artifacts.

In September, crews tried to find the capsule among massive granite rocks at the base of the Lee monument—but the mission was ironically deemed a “lost cause.” While recent efforts have uncovered a different capsule higher up on the monument, the one referenced in historic records is still elusive. “The question remains: Well, what happened to that one?,” asks Julie Langan, director of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, according to the Times.

But Lincoln photo aside, the new capsule offers its own set of intriguing questions. Why, for instance, was a British coin placed inside the box? And why was there a copy of The Huguenot Lovers: A Tale of the Old Dominion, a work of fiction by Collinson Pierrepont Edwards Burgwyn?

“We have not yet made sense of why this assortment was placed in the box,” says Langan, per the Times. “It’s an odd assortment.”

Very cool

According to ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart, state officials plan to replace the 19th-century time capsule, long hidden beneath a memorial to a Confederate hero, with a new one containing objects relevant to the present time—like masks, vaccination cards and a Black Lives Matter sticker. “This monument and its time capsule reflected Virginia in 1890,” said Northam in a statement in September. “[I]t’s time to remove both, so that our public spaces better reflect who we are as a people in 2021.”

Except that part.

[cassisrot]

Do you fly the flag on the 19th?

[fintstone]

One has to wonder why the city is so determined to destroy such a piece of history/art. Funny how they lied about the statue and claimed it would go into storage...and now are planning to melt it down. Much like the Taliban did when it gained power.

Since the land was donated specifically to place the statue there, you would think that the state would have to reimburse the heir for the property.

[3rd_gear_Ted]

The statue went up in 1890 as a symbol against reconstruction. Torn down in another form of reconstruction 130 years later. The word irony comes to mind.

They surmise the time capsule found was from the jealous builders.

[drew1]

Originally Posted by 3rd_gear_Ted

The statue went up in 1890 as a symbol against reconstruction. Torn down in another form of reconstruction 130 years later. The word irony comes to mind.

They surmise the time capsule found was from the jealous builders.

????

I wonder if they will open the time capsule or destroy it like the statue.

[fintstone]

Originally Posted by 3rd_gear_Ted

The statue went up in 1890 as a symbol against reconstruction. Torn down in another form of reconstruction 130 years later. The word irony comes to mind.

They surmise the time capsule found was from the jealous builders.

The term that comes to mind is iconoclasm. Actions of fascists and fools...cheered on by the ignorant.

[sc_rufctr]

... I'd bet there are people also calling for the dynamiting of Mt Rushmore and other large sites.

Being really honest: All of this seems really silly. Removing these statues will not change history.
The happy compromise: They should establish a national park and relocate all of the controversial statues there so that people can choose to see them or not.

[fintstone]

It was in a park...and a tiny minority of the state wanted them destroyed. They are rushing to do so before the corrupt Governor is replaced for being such an ass and allowing this type nonsense.

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by fintstone

One has to wonder why the city is so determined to destroy such a piece of history/art. Funny how they lied about the statue and claimed it would go into storage...and now are planning to melt it down. Much like the Taliban did when it gained power.

Since the land was donated specifically to place the statue there, you would think that the state would have to reimburse the heir for the property.

Locally they changed the name off a park from the name of the family that donated the property for the purpose of being a small park downtown. I would love to see the Descendants of that family Sue the city and reclaim the property.

[Eric 951]

Originally Posted by drew1

????

I wonder if they will open the time capsule or destroy it like the statue.

if they had any credibility/justification for destroying the Lee statue they would destroy the capsule as well.

[masraum]

They found the other one, the one that they were originally looking for.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/27/us/virginia-lee-second-time-capsule-open-trnd/index.html

A second time capsule was found where the Robert E. Lee statue once stood in Richmond, Virginia, a Virginia Department of Historic Resources spokesperson said Monday.
A copper box was found beneath the pedestal, "below grade in a very wet area," said department director Julie Langan, adding it is "too soon to know whether water infiltrated the box."
The box weighs 36 pounds, Langan said. It measures 13.5 inches by 13.5 inches by 7.5 inches.

The second time capsule, found beneath the Lee statue pedestal, will be opened Tuesday.
"They found it! This is likely the time capsule everyone was looking for. Conservators studying it -- stay tuned for next steps! (Won't be opened today)," Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam tweeted Monday. He later said the box will be opened at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

"X-rays give a first look inside the time capsule: Experts believe there may be coins, books, buttons, and even ammunition from the Civil War," he tweeted.

The capsule was brought to the conservation lab at the Department of Historic Resources where conservators began assessing it, Langan said. "Next we will try to determine how the box is sealed and whether the seal has been breached."
Richmond's bomb squad was first consulted to make sure it was safe to open.
Langan said two paper conservators will be present when the box is opened.
"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."

[fintstone]

Yep. The fools that are destroying the beautiful, historical statue that people from all over the nation come to visit/view plan to conserve the Confederate memorabilia contained in the "time capsule." Pretty amazing.