WATCH: Officials Open Time Capsule Recovered From Pedestal of Robert E. Lee Statue in Virginia
American history buffs are about to get a new chance to look back through the ages. Conservationists are opening up a time capsule that was extracted from the remnants of the Robert E. Lee statue that once stood in Richmond, Virginia.
The statue, an infamous magnet for protests against racial injustice, was removed from Monument Avenue earlier this year after an extensive legal battle. As work crews were preparing to remove the Confederate general’s pedestal, excavators found a time capsule that immediately drew tons of excitement and speculation for what historical artifacts might be inside.
Officials already found one time capsule at the site several days ago, though multiple reports described the opening as a letdown since the box’s contents were water-damaged and anticlimactic. The newly-discovered time capsule is dated back to 1887, and officials are excited over the possibility that it contains a rare photo of Abraham Lincoln in his casket.
This time capsule was known to officials who sought it out, and Governor Ralph Northam celebrated its discovery on social media:
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) pic.twitter.com/3lWrsPGZd2
— Governor Ralph Northam (@GovernorVA) December 27, 2021
“It does appear that this is the box we expected,” Kate Ridgway, Lead conservator of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, told the Associated Press.
Time capsule from the removed Robert E. Lee statue in Richmond is being opened at this moment: pic.twitter.com/Ey7tiMAfH9
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) December 28, 2021
The examination of the box’s contents is ongoing, and you can watch above, via WUSA9.
