134 YEARS ON

Time Capsule Hidden Under Robert E. Lee Statue in 1887 Cracked Open

Before it was opened, the capsule was rumored to hold a photo of Abraham Lincoln lying in his coffin.

In 1887, when crews were putting up the now-dismantled statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Virginia they stowed a time capsule away in its pedestal for future generations. On Wednesday, after 134 years, it was cracked open—and its contents were, well, pretty disappointing really. According to CNN, the lead container held an almanac dated to 1875, two water-damaged books, a silver coin, and a cloth envelope. Before it was opened, the time capsule was rumored to hold a photo of Abraham Lincoln lying dead in his coffin, and the archivists who opened the capsule said the cloth envelope appears to be holding a picture. However, opening the withered envelope would have caused damage to the the contents, so the mystery will go on until it can be opened safely. “Given that the artifacts are wet, they will be put in the freezer to prevent any further deterioration,” Katherine Ridgway, a conservator at Virginia Department of Historic Resources, told WTVR.