Museum Time Capsule, Mersea Museum, High Street, West Mersea, Mersea Island, Essex. CO5 8QD
Posted by: greysman
N 51° 46.510 E 000° 54.711
31U E 355937 N 5738095
The Museum's Time Capsule can be found next to the front entrance door.
Waymark Code: WMMTZ5
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 11/05/2014
Views: 4
The Mersea Museum occupies purpose-built accommodation very near to the village church of St.Peter and St.Paul in the centre of West Mersea. It was established in 1976. There are collections representing local; history, social history, natural history and geology, with many local photographs, some oral history, family history and parish records. There are items of marine history, local engineering and costumes. The John Leather Memorial Collection is also housed here.
Just by the entrance door is the museum's Time Capsule organised by Brian Jay who says "it was a proper job which cost around £500. It was only worth doing if it was done properly." As this is an island most of the contents relate to the island and its history. The local photographic club produced a CD with local photos, there is also a packet of seeds. There are no newspapers or cuttings as they deteriorate too quickly, and no colour photos as the dyes are notoriously unstable. The lead box was buried on Saturday, 4th December, 2010, buried by David Cooper, Kathleen Haines and Joanne Godfrey, and to be opened in 2076 - 100 years since the Museum opened.
A duplicate copy and write-up of the contents/information has been made and will be deposited in the museum in acid-free envelopes so that there will be no need to reference the time capsule before 2076 if the need arises.
The entrance gate to the compound is at N 51° 46.524 E 000° 54.689.
The wording on the plaque, provided by the makers of the capsule and guaranteed for the duration, attached to the museum wall reads:-
THE TIME CAPSULE OF
MERSEA ISLAND MUSEUM
WAS BURIED ON
SATURDAY 4th DECEMBER 2010
TO BE OPENED IN DECEMBER 2076
TO CELEBRATE THE
MUSEUM CENTENARY