dated cornerstone time capsule with contents successfully extracted shortly before st. john's church razed

as the facade of st. john's church came crumbling down (a terrible loss for chicago's preservation movement) several pieces of limestone ornament, the dated cornerstone, and the copper time capsule found within it, were carefully removed. they are currently being documented in my studio, where there are already hundreds of photos to edit and several hours-worth of research required. i hope to identify the stone fabricator, church builder, and most importantly, decode the two-page, hand-written letter (written in german) that explains the origins of this chicago-based congregation, along with the details of their building which was constructed in 1910 and demolished just this week.

the following photo essay offers a glimpse of the capsule's successful removal, where it was extracted from deep within the rectangular-shaped indiana limestone cornerstone. once removed, the 10 x 6 inch pressed and folded copper box was opened and the contents revealed. it was a long and stressful day, but the entire team onsite worked wonderfully together to secure the building's remaining ornament and the church's capsule during its fast-paced demolition. additional images of the ornament, its removal, and so on, will be included in a future post, as time permits.

shortly after returning to my studio with st. john's capsule and cornerstone in my possession, i at once began documenting the pressed and folded copper box or "capsule," the dated indiana limestone block and its cavity (deeply carved into the underside of the cornerstone), and finally, the fragile contents that had been sealed away since the stone was laid in 1910.

i will continue editing hundreds of photos of this remarkable find, and conduct research on the documents, but most importantly, i will try to decipher the congregation's hand-written message, which was placed at the top of the small pile of carefully fitted documents within the box.

the arrangement and order of the papers are very important to make note of - the visual cues of the "presentation" were no doubt intentional, with the signers of the written document very much mindful of how best to share their story with the one or ones that discover it in the future. that day came 106 year later, on september 16th, 2016. the contents need to be handled with dignity and respect, since this is the only "record" of their existence or their "voice" beyond the grave. i will adhere to that knowledge when working with the documents.

none of this would have been made possible if it weren't for paul erwin, ccg group, and an excellent crew who greatly assisted in making the time capsule accessible for any and all present to appreciate. it was a a highly rewarding experience to locate and extract an incredibly important piece of chicago history that otherwise would have been forgotten.