All archival collections--once they are transferred to the archives and become archival--involve saving documents for researchers of future generations, but some archival collections are produced with the intent to be saved. Such is the case with time capsules, in which materials are compiled and stored in order to be literally uncovered later. In 2009, when the building at 525 Golden Gate Avenue was torn down to build a new Public Utilities Commission Building, the Public Utilities Commission called the City Archivist to come and retrieve a time capsule they'd found stored in a copper box in the cornerstone. That is how the San Francisco History Center acquired the State Compensation Insurance Fund Time Capsule for April 25, 1960, commemorating the dedication of its then-new building.
While the copper box was not retained, the materials inside it were. After carefully soldering off the lid of the container, we found the photographs and documents inside to be intact and in good condition. Besides offering us a glimpse into the dedication day and history of the building itself, the collection documents the formation of California workers' compensation laws and the insurance fund created to help implement them. The time capsule includes microfilmed working drawings of the building, photographs of the Board of Directors and architects, a dedication day program, newspapers from the day of the dedication, and a copy of San Francisco's Civic Center Development Plan from Oct. 1958; along with copies of legislation and administrative documents of the State Compensation Insurance Fund of California.
To see the State Compensation Insurance Fund time capsule for yourself, please visit the San Francisco History Center during our open hours. A detailed guide to the collection is available at the Online Archive of California.
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| [State Compensation Insurance Fund, Golden Gate & Polk], Aug. 21, 1964. Courtesy of Alan J. Canterbury, San Francisco History Center |
All archival collections--once they are transferred to the archives and become archival--involve saving documents for researchers of future generations, but some archival collections are produced with the intent to be saved. Such is the case with time capsules, in which materials are compiled and stored in order to be literally uncovered later. In 2009, when the building at 525 Golden Gate Avenue was torn down to build a new Public Utilities Commission Building, the Public Utilities Commission called the City Archivist to come and retrieve a time capsule they'd found stored in a copper box in the cornerstone. That is how the San Francisco History Center acquired the State Compensation Insurance Fund Time Capsule for April 25, 1960, commemorating the dedication of its then-new building.
While the copper box was not retained, the materials inside it were. After carefully soldering off the lid of the container, we found the photographs and documents inside to be intact and in good condition. Besides offering us a glimpse into the dedication day and history of the building itself, the collection documents the formation of California workers' compensation laws and the insurance fund created to help implement them. The time capsule includes microfilmed working drawings of the building, photographs of the Board of Directors and architects, a dedication day program, newspapers from the day of the dedication, and a copy of San Francisco's Civic Center Development Plan from Oct. 1958; along with copies of legislation and administrative documents of the State Compensation Insurance Fund of California.
To see the State Compensation Insurance Fund time capsule for yourself, please visit the San Francisco History Center during our open hours. A detailed guide to the collection is available at the Online Archive of California.
That must have been fun to open it! In wonder though, if the drawings of the buildings were stored now, digitally, would it be as easy to read them in 50 years as it is to still read microfilm? or was it that easy to read the microfilm? I'm just assuming it would work on a current microfilm reader, maybe I'm mistaken?
ReplyDeleteSorry to harp on about the microfilm aspect but this article was just posted as a link on the Archives NRA list - the wonders of Microfilm from 1957! http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2011/mar/14/photography-libraries
ReplyDeleteIt does indeed work on a current microfilm reader, and the image is sharp!
ReplyDeleteis it really possible to find that safe ?
ReplyDeleteReally, it is great thing to know about microfilm.
ReplyDeleteI found your topic really interesting and somehow new. Its gerat to always read newer topics.
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