If it’s important to you, it’s important to them.
That’s the message Chatham-Kent Museum curator Stephanie Saunders wants to pass along to residents thinking about contributing something to the Old Mausoleum time capsule at Maple Leaf Cemetery.
“You don’t have to be a historian or think you have to have something amazing to have it placed in the time capsule,” she said. “If it meant something to you in 2014, please let us consider it.”
The committee of museum volunteers will examine the items and decide what will be included in the time capsule that will be placed in the mausoleum crypt this fall, to be opened in 2115.
In 1914, the original time capsule crypt was placed in the Old Mausoleum. It was opened in October of last year, revealing letters and other documents, including information about the founding of the Chatham Canadian Women’s Club.
Saunders said the inscription on the crypt instructs whomever opens the capsule to re-fill and seal it “to be repeated Ad Infinitum.”
The 1914 capsule contained about 100 documents, many of which pertained to various clubs and organizations. Some of those items are on display now, however, a formal display will be announced in May.
She said there is reason to believe many of the documents were meant to be bound in some form of book, however, it’s possible the outbreak of the First World War prevented that from happening.
This time around, there will be an emphasis on having items from the various communities that form Chatham-Kent.
“We want contributions from across the community, whether they be photos, printed or handwritten material or whatever,” Saunders said. For printed or handwritten material, black ink on standard 8.5×11 paper is preferred, and for photographs, black and white is preferred. Deadline for submissions is June 15.
Send your contribution to the Chatham-Kent Museum, 75 William St. N, Chatham, N7M 4L4, attention Stephanie Saunders.
For further information, please contact Bruce Warwick at bwarwick@kent.net; Sheila Gibbs at sgibbs@bell.net; Jim Gilbert at jgilbert@ciaccess.com; or the museum at ckcccmuseum@chatham-kent.ca.
Submissions not accepted for the time capsule can be picked up at the Chatham-Kent Museum after the review process is completed.
