538 ANNUAL KEPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 19 39 



use with this, three reels of newsreel are contained in the Time Cap- 

 sule, showing about 20 characteristic, significant, or historic scenes 

 of our times, complete with sound, and ranging all the way from an 

 address by President Eoosevelt to a Miami fashion show. The news- 

 reel was especially edited for the Capsule by RKO-Pathe Pictures, 

 Inc. 



PACKING THE TIME CAPSULE 



The utmost care was taken in packing the contents. Under the 

 direction of representatives of the United States Bureau of Standards 

 each object was examined to determine whether it could be expected 

 to last 5,000 years. All articles containing volatile solvents were 

 ruled out; also all materials which might decompose with the pro- 

 duction of fumes or acids that might attack other articles in the 

 crypt. No liquids of any kind were permitted in the crypt. Organic 

 objects, such as seeds, were sealed in special gas-tight glass capsules. 



Every object enclosed in the Capsule was then fully labeled and 

 described. The glass capsules containing seeds and other objects 

 contain labels sealed into the glass. All other objects were indi- 

 vidually wrapped in heavy 100-percent rag ledger paper and tied 

 with linen twine, with the label wrapped inside. Where it was nec- 

 essary to use paste to attach a label, only pure gum arable was used. 

 Film, including both the microfilm and newsreel, was enclosed in 

 special spun aluminum containers, lined with rag paper. 



The position of each object in the crypt was determined by its 

 weight. The heavier objects are packed in the bottom, resting on a 

 cushion of glass wool. The seven containers of film rest about mid- 

 way in the crypt. The lighter objects, including the woman's hat, 

 are placed on top. The hat was stuffed with surgical cotton to pre- 

 serve its shape, and wrapped in paper. All spaces between the ob- 

 jects in the crypt were cushioned and made firm with glass wool. 



The process of packing was conducted in the presence of three 

 official witnesses: C. G. Weber, of the United States Bureau of 

 Standards ; F. D. McHugh, managing editor of the Scientific Amer- 

 ican, and Grover Whalen, president of the New York World's Fair 

 1939. A checklist of contents, bearing the signatures of the witnesses, 

 was the last thing included in the crypt. 



Immediately following the packing, the Pyrex inner crypt was 

 placed upon a glass-lathe, heated and sealed. The air was then 

 drawn out through a small tube, the contents washed with inert gas, 

 and the crypt filled with nitrogen, to which just enough moisture 

 was added to equal the humidity of an ordinary room. Protected 

 from oxygen and excess moisture by this inert, humid atmosphere, 

 the contents are expected to remain in their present condition 



