This week we have a 1913 capsule in California that for some reason contained hair clippings and a tooth; an Andy Warhol capsule that will be opened in Pittsburgh tomorrow; and a TV crew that finally found the long-lost Steve Jobs time capsule in Colorado!
TV Crew Finally Unearths "Steve Jobs Time Capsule" Missing Since 2000
Yesterday the crew from National Geographic Channel's show "Diggers" dug up the elusive Steve Jobs time capsule, originally buried at a 1983 conference in Aspen, Colorado. Time capsule nerds rejoice!
The giant 13-foot-long tube has been lost since 2000, when people first started looking for it. Capsule hunters at the turn of the millennium were thrown off by new landscaping in the area which made its exact location difficult to pinpoint. The capsule was filled with what some estimate to be thousands of items from different people at the conference, but the late Apple founder's involvement made it one of the most coveted "lost" capsules in history.
The "Diggers" crew, along with help from the Aspen Historical Society, will begin cataloging the items and hopefully put them on public display. No word yet on the condition of the Lisa mouse that Jobs contributed, which was easily the most hyped item in the capsule. A six-pack of beer left for whatever weary diggers finally unearthed the thing was reportedly found in good condition. I can't imagine it tastes very good after 30 years in the ground. But I suppose it would probably be safer than trying a taste of that 65-year-old cake they found in Canada. [CNET]
Andy Warhol Time Capsule Opening Will Be Livestreamed Tomorrow
From 1974 until his death in 1987, Warhol created 610 time capsules which are now periodically being opened, catalogued and archived. Tomorrow at 2pm ET, the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh will open one of them. The Warhol Theater is pretty small, so you're encouraged to arrive early if you want to find a seat. If you can't make it to Pittsburgh, the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London is hosting an exclusive livestream of the event. And if you can't make it to London either, you're just going to have to hope either posts a video recap at some point. [Complex]
Time Capsule Filled With Hard Hats Opened In Illinois
A time capsule from 1978 was opened at the Prairie County Convention Center in Springfield, Illinois recently. The capsule was presumably assembled by a construction crew that worked on the building (which opened in 1979). The time traveling box included copies of Time magazine, a few newspapers, and some hard hats signed by its assemblers. [ABC20]
Masonic Time Capsule From 1913 Includes Hair Clippings, Wisdom Tooth
In what probably looked like a deleted scene from the Nine Inch Nails video for "Closer," a 1913 time capsule containing hair clippings and a wisdom tooth was recently opened at a Masonic Lodge in California. The hair apparently belonged to someone who went by the initials A.M., and a cryptic note mentioned that she'd "recently been robbed of all her hair." As for the wisdom tooth? That belonged to W.M., initials that probably stand for Worshipful Master, the term for the senior officer at a Masonic Lodge.
The capsule also had three bottles filled with wine, corn and oil. According to the San Luis Obispo Tribune, those bottles were included as "a symbolic gesture to reflect Masonic history and its connection to King Solomon." Below you can watch incredibly awkward video of someone struggling to pull the time capsule from its cornerstone hiding place.
Century-old teeth and hair may not be the strangest things ever put in a time capsule. But assuming Warhol's time capsule doesn't include a bullet signed by Valerie Solanas or something, we can certainly chalk it up as strangest of the week. [The Tribune]
Image: Photo of the Diggers crew with the Steve Jobs time capsule from National Geographic Channel via CNET