Conservator Pam Hatchfield, head of objects conservation at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and AIC’s board president, had the rare opportunity to excavate and open the oldest known time capsule in the U.S. The capsule was stored in the Massachusetts State House, wedged tight inside a cornerstone, and Hatchfield spent 7 hours carefully removing it. On January 6th, Hatchfield opened the box and removed its contents using a variety of tools, including a porcupine quill.
Hatchfield appeared on a local news show, Greater Boston on WGBH News, to discuss the time capsule and her process, accompanied by Michael Comeau, the executive director of the Massachusetts Archives and Commonwealth Museum. They talked with WGBH News Arts Editor Jared Bowen. You can watch the video of the interview here.
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AIC Blog Archives: Conservators Converse
Former Blog of the American Institute for Conservation