A 1962 time capsule has been unearthed by staff preparing a centenary exhibition for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Tampa Bay.
The copper box was discovered in a storage unit in Tampa, Florida, as workers searched for material to display at the Tampa Bay History Center. It had been welded shut and had to be opened with a hammer and crowbar.
Inside were items marking the opening of the Interbay Boys Club on South Coolidge Avenue, including programmes from the ceremony, black-and-white photographs of a formal dinner and a cigar.
The box also contained a congratulatory telegram from former US president Herbert Hoover, who was then chairman of the Boys’ Clubs of America.
Ava Cahoon, senior director of communications for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Tampa Bay, said the documents offered a vivid glimpse into the concerns of the early 1960s.
“Even reading these speeches, there were mentions of communism, the Cold War — you know, it’s from the 60s and that’s what their whole lives were about,” she said. “Being able to read it, it literally felt like a step back in time.”
The 1962 time capsule will go on display
The Interbay Boys Club is no longer operated by the organisation, but its history will form part of a special exhibition celebrating 100 years of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Tampa Bay.
The time capsule and its contents are due to be displayed at the Tampa Bay History Center from 1 October to 30 November.
As part of the centenary celebrations, the organisation also plans to seal a new time capsule containing artefacts from the present day for future generations to discover.
