Thomas Lannon occasionally posts on NYPLs blog. He is the assistant curator of their manuscripts and archives department. He also figures into this Fast Company story about a time capsule created by a group called the Modern Historic Records Association. The time capsule was never found, not exactly, but this story, an early example of the LOCKSS (lots of copies keeps stuff safe) phenomenon does have a happy ending, thanks to some sleuthing and some librarians.
I was in our Town Hall last week talking with the Assistant Town Clerk in the archive vault, and he showed me a time capsule they found while organizing the archive records. There is no record of when it was placed there, who did it, or what’s in it, just a black metal box with “Time Capsule” written on it. And there’s been enough personnel turnover that no one on staff knows anything about it either. They decided not to open it (it’s locked and no one has the key, either), and just leave it in the vault for future generations to worry about.
Come ON that story drives me crazy. I am totally going to go to the town hall and ask if they have seen my time capsule!