Reminder: Thursday’s your chance to help shape a time capsule

Three weeks ago, we brought you first word of the plan to preserve images and mementos from November 13, 2008, for the time capsule to be buried next year at the new nov1308snw.pngAlki Statue of Liberty Plaza. (November 13 is the day the Denny Party landed at Alki — 157th anniversary this year, and the time capsule will be opened in a half-century, 11/13/2058.) As Andrea Mercado of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society/Log House Museum told us at the time, they’ll be collecting items from all over the city, so the openers will get an idea of what life was like on 11/13/2008. Now that the big day is just six days away, we checked back for the latest on requirements/deadlines for submitting what you collect/create that day. Read on for the info:

First, a reminder of what they’re doing and why:

When: Collect or create on Thursday, November 13th, 2008, between the hours of 12:00 am to 11:59 pm. You have until December 31st, 2008 to bring it to the Log House Museum.

What: This time capsule will be opened in 50 years. What can be put into it that will share what was going on now? This one-day collection will attempt to capture a day NOW for the Seattlites of 2058 to discover. Some ideas we have heard: WASL test, gasoline receipt; grocery store plastic bag; meeting minutes; letters forecasting what the future will hold, what it means to live here, what liberty means to you; photographs, artwork, poetry, songs created on 11/13/08 … there are many unexplored options.

Andrea says they’re expecting the time capsule will be heavy on digital-data storage, the way things go these days … so here are some guidelines for digital submissions:

Formats for digital items:

1) For photographs : emulsion prints preferred for their long-term stability, then digital copies, then prints using a color or b&w computer printer.

2) For written materials : regular paper, archival paper (specify), e-mail, print, or copy.

3) For artistic endeavors or objects : size is the only limit. Acidic properties of the item may also need to be taken into consideration, since this will be a sealed container buried in dirt for 50 years at sea level next to salty Puget Sound.

Send digital materials collected on November 13th to: loghousemuseum@yahoo.com by December 31st, 2008. Include information on how we can reach you in 50 years. Just kidding, but we do need your name and contact info for 2008.

Once they have received and reviewed the material, that will determine the size and shape of the time capsule, which will be buried next spring or summer. We will of course offer screengrab/printout of WSB coverage on Thursday, so we’ll likely be out and about taking more photos than usual – that night’s the West Seattle Second Thursday Art Walk, too!

6 Replies to "Reminder: Thursday's your chance to help shape a time capsule"

  • Irukandji November 8, 2008 (6:03 pm)

    I guess DNA and stool samples would not be welcome :).

  • Rick November 8, 2008 (7:24 pm)

    Darn! Already sent my samples to the doctor.

  • BigRed November 8, 2008 (7:27 pm)

    Lots of Obama stuff I hope!!!!

  • kurto November 9, 2008 (10:28 am)

    How about putting in an archive of WSB’s coverage of the statue over the years?

  • WSB November 9, 2008 (10:45 am)

    Thanks – this is supposed to be a snapshot (figuratively as well as some literal examples) of life in Seattle on 11/13/08 so archives aren’t going to make the cut, but we certainly will have some statue coverage while we’re out covering the day :) – TR

  • gavmit November 14, 2008 (8:13 am)

    make sure to add election stuff about Obama!!!

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