AGENDA DATE: 11/18/2020
TITLE:
Title
Confederate Memorial Time Capsule Presentation
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: BOS approval to gift time capsule contents to UVA Library
ITEM TYPE: Regular Action Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Richardson, Kamptner, Russell
PRESENTER (S): Siri Russell, Sue Donovan, Molly Schwartzburg
LEGAL REVIEW: Yes
REVIEWED BY: Jeffrey B. Richardson
BACKGROUND: On August 6, 2020, the Board held a public hearing and adopted a resolution to remove the Civil War memorial, "At Ready" from its court square property; and, the memorial was taken from the site on September 12, 2020.
Following the removal of the memorial from the site, a time capsule was removed (with consultation from UVA Special Collections staff) from a cavity in the ground where the statue stood. The time capsule, originally placed in 1909, was transported from the site to the UVA Special Collections lab that same day.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Educational Opportunities: Provide lifelong learning opportunities for all our citizens
DISCUSSION: Since its removal from its previous location underneath the At Ready statue, the time capsule has been in the possession of UVA Special Collections for assessment and recovery of its contents. Evaluation of the time capsule contents revealed quickly that the majority paper contents of the box had been bathed in ground water, subjected to large insect activity and most likely bacterial activity. Despite the significant deterioration, UVA Special Collections staff have spent considerable time working to salvage as much of the time capsule contents as possible.
Optimal recovery and exhibition of the time capsule contents will require significant preservation capacity. The condition of the contents necessitates specialized digital and physical resources and considerable expertise. UVA Special Collections has expressed a willingness to take responsibility for the long-term investment needed to keep the time capsule contents available and ...
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