Let‘s make a memory capsule!

Stories of unheartening hidden treasures have a tangible pull on us. No need for it to be gold (like we often see in media), such treasures still fascinate as outright windows into the past. It can be as small as a short note from days gone or as grandiose as a Pharaoh‘s tomb. We all want to find treasures but I am sure that many of you haven‘t thought about making your own. That‘s what I want to talk about today: time capsules! Let's start with a quick overview of what you need to know.

A time capsule is a cache intended to be found. Depending on your target, it can be quite personal and for your future eyes only (we would call that a memory capsule) or for future generations proper. Let‘s digest what you need to consider to make one.

Time to work

The first step is to decide where you‘ll place your time capsule. Will you place it indoors or outdoors? Do you want to place it in a specific and meaningful location? Is the location linked to what message you want to deliver? Or would you rather place it somewhere random? All these choices are valid and entirely yours to make

After that, you should decide how much time you want to wait before opening it. If you want a capsule for yourself, choosing a wait time of a decade before opening it and recovering fond memories could be a good choice. If it‘s more of a legacy you want to leave behind, it could be much longer than that. We have examples of time capsules indicated to be opened a thousand years after being buried. Maybe too extreme for your taste but still an option.

Whatever location and time frame you decide should heavily impact how you plan it - the next step. This includes your container choice. If your cache is indoors and for a short time-lapse, then a box or a plastic container is a fine choice. Burying it outdoors limits your container choices significantly. The same can be said for larger time frames. You should choose a container that is both solid and can resist considerable wear and tear. Elements, bugs and plants are unavoidable outdoors. In that way, biodegradable containers are a no-go for outdoors (except if you want that process to be part of your message). Humidity and temperature shifts are also considerable factors making rust-prone metal not the best option most often than not. That is without considering the impact of metal containers on the environment itself (we don‘t want to poison our gift). Broadly speaking, a glass container is a great choice if your storage location is stable and far away from light (which could damage your content otherwise).

Depending on the scale of your ambitions, you should also assign people responsible to keep track of or maintain your time capsule. That could be you for smaller time frames. For larger time frames, that could require substantially more fine-tuning. We have historical examples of societies entirely built around the preservation of a specific legacy. In a way, sacred relics are a sort of time capsule. That‘s the scale we are talking about. Either way, without proper preparation, your time capsule WILL fail. Keep in mind that most time capsules are lost a few years after their burial and that is even considering cases where preparation was accounted for.

Finally, you have to decide what to place in your time capsule. That‘s the fun part. You might include a note, photos, drawings, trinkets, recordings, clothes, meaningful objects, etc. Your imagination is the limit. Again, your choice should be coherent with your specific intention AND target audience. Keep in mind that the container itself is part of the message.

On a final note, opening a memory capsule doesn‘t have to be a one-and-done thing. Nothing is stopping you from opening it from time to time. That might actually be the best choice if you use it to rekindle cherished memories.

Notable snapshots

Alright: time for some real-world examples to inspire you. Time capsules themselves are often seen as a relatively recent phenomenon. Yet, we have similar endeavours from quite a long time ago. Again, relics (religious or not) are a sort of time capsule. Myths and legends are also great time capsules. Why not do that yourself? We could also include statues, monuments and tombs as time capsules too. One of my favourite examples would be the Voyager Golden Record - a time capsule made by NASA and launched outside our solar system with Voyagers I and II. Go search that if you want inspiration for a “universal“ time capsule. The KEO project (which never launched) could also be a good inspiration. The Memory of Mankind project in Austria has similar ambitions. Many time capsules were buried during Universal Expositions, that would include Expo 70‘s time capsule near Osaka in Japan. Most 19th-century time capsules include coins, newspapers, maps and medals/insignias. Obviously, political messages are also in some fashion. Not my style but you do you. If you would prefer something more humoristic, we have found time capsules containing alcohol, underwear, puns or sardonic comments.

One of my favourites is John Sainsbury‘s letter left in a column at the National Gallery in London. For context, John and his two brothers funded a new wing at the gallery. From the content of the letter, we can gather that John disliked the internal false columns therein. Here is the letter‘s content:

“If You have found this note you must be engaged in demolishing one of the false columns that have been placed in the foyer of the Sainsbury wing of the National Gallery. I believe that the false columns are a mistake of the architect and that we would live to regret our accepting this detail of his design.

Let it be known that one of the donors of this building is absolutely delighted that your generation has decided to dispense with the unnecessary columns.“

What a burn.

Time to close things up

In the end, time capsules are great to spark curiosity, reflection, and a sense of continuity. With it, we can bridge the gap whether that is with distant generations or our future selves.

In any case, see you next time.