the original time capsules
The concept of time capsules is about preserving artifacts in containers that will inform future generations about present-day cultures (Oravec, 2004). The artifacts, which may among others include pictures, writings, money, jewelry or objects of everyday use, are usually found in containers from glass, iron or stainless-steel material. In order to make sure that the time capsule will only be discovered in the distant future, the containers are buried or hidden from the general public (Jarvis, 1992). Moreover, these objects, which vary from being historical records to everyday utensils of a culture, can be highly useful for historians, archaeologists and anthropologists (Oravec, 2004). Click on one of the ‘?’ in the image below to learn more.
virtual time capsules
The development of the internet undoubtedly changed the way we learn, remember, and study past and present events (Costa et al., 2017). The ubiquitous connectivity and the need for unlimited access to information led to the rise of digital archiving (Costa et al., 2017). Virtual time capsules illustrate those needs for accessibility, preservation, and information as they contain a collection of digitized objects from a specific period in the (online) world. As opposed to a physical time capsule, virtual time capsules provide opportunities to make use of different affordances. Traditional concepts like aura and object biography gain new meaning through this new era of time capsules. At the same time, new concepts like digital materiality come to light. Click on the ‘?’ in the image below to learn more about the connection between those concepts and virtual time capsules.
references
Andrews E. (2016). America’s Oldest Known Time Capsules. At History. https://www.history.com/news/8-famous-time-capsules
Benjamin, W. (2002). The Work of Art in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility. In Selected Writings, 3: 1935–1938 (pp. 101–133). Harvard University Press.
Costa, M., Gomes, D., & Silva, M. J. (2017). The evolution of web archiving. International Journal on Digital Libraries, 18, 191-205. DOI:10.1007/s00799-016-0171-9
Jarvis, W. (1992). The Time Capsule as a Way for the Future to Acquire Popular Cultural Items. In Allen E. (Eds), Popular Culture and Acquisitions. (pp. 33-45). The Haworth Press.
Jarvis, W. E. (2015). Time capsules: A cultural history. McFarland.
MacIntyre, B., Bolter, J. D., & Gandy, M. (2004). Presence and the Aura of Meaningful Places. 7th Annual International Workshop on Presence (PRESENCE 2004), 36–43. http://ael.gatech.edu/lab/2004/10/13/presence-and-the-aura-of-meaningful-places/
Manoff, M. (2006). The Materiality of Digital Collections: Theoretical and Historical Perspectives. Portal: Libraries and the Academy, 6(3), 311–325. https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2006.0042
McFadden, C. (2020). 12 Oldest Websites From The 80s, 90s Still Online Today | IE. Interesting Engineering. https://interestingengineering.com/top-12-oldest-websites-still-in-existence-today
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Time capsule. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved February 22, 2022, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/time%20capsule
Oravec, J. A. (2004). Time Capsules: A Cultural History. The Journal of Popular Culture, 37(4), 735–737. https://doi.org/10.1111/J.0022-3840.2004.096_9.XTebeau, M. (2016). Engaging the Materiality of the Archive in the Digital Age. Collections: A Journal for Museum and Archives Professionals, 12(4), 475–487. https://doi.org/10.1177/155019061601200411
Tebeau, M. (2016). Engaging the Materiality of the Archive in the Digital Age. Collections: A Journal for Museum and Archives Professionals, 12(4), 475–487. https://doi.org/10.1177/155019061601200411