REFLECTIONS ON A 1976 TIME CAPSULE
By Matthew Bernstein. Photography by Reilly Platten Sharp
Many say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For me, this had never resonated more deeply as when I was given the delicate task of cleaning and cataloging artifacts from the 1976 Ship Bottom Time Capsule. While some observers may have perceived the mud-soaked items as remnants of a bygone era, I recognized a compelling historical puzzle requiring careful preservation and interpretation. This task, passed to me, began a dive into the rich history of Ship Bottom.
In the fall of 2023, I was just starting my second career as a Ship Bottom borough employee, following a thirty-year tenure as a middle school history teacher. Learning of the project — my inherent passion for history was immediately ignited. My previous experience in education, which coincidentally included a lesson where students envisioned items for a future time capsule, provided a unique perspective on this similar task. This prior exercise fostered thinking and encouraged dialogue among students, mirroring the process I had in front of me now piecing together the story held within this recovered capsule.
The extraction of the time capsule early in 2023 from the depths of the 1966 Ship Bottom Borough Hall by the Department of Public Works crew was a critical undertaking. Years of exposure to storms and flooding had compromised the Styrofoam container leaving its contents submerged in approximately twelve inches of thick mud. Quick and careful action was essential to prevent the permanent loss of these historical materials.
With utmost care, I began the process of removing the waterlogged contents. I set up fans inside the public works garage at 6th Street and began to gradually dry all the items. Despite being placed in sealed plastic bags, many items had succumbed to water intrusion. Among the contents were roughly seventy-five Polaroid photographs that were in terrible condition. Despite the damage, many of them still had their original label. I documented each legible label and learned that most of the photographs were of Ship Bottom landmarks, employees and officials.
Similarly, the severely deteriorated books and catalogs necessitated careful examination to determine the key words and phrases. These primary source documents, seemingly insignificant to some, represented a valuable opportunity for historical inquiry.
Each artifact I pulled from the time capsule presented new research opportunities. A 1976 New Jersey Bell Telephone book and a Sears, Roebuck and Company catalog offered insights into daily life of the period, product prices and advertising strategies. Particularly compelling were the police and fire department badges and patches, tangible symbols of the pride and camaraderie shared by Ship Bottom’s first responders. These carefully selected items readily conveyed their significance within the capsule’s contents and underscored the evident pride the Time Capsule Committee held in representing their community.
This 1976 Time Capsule offers a tangible link to the past, providing a unique learning opportunity and the potential to spark discussions about the history of Ship Bottom.
A note from the author: I wish to extend my sincere gratitude to Mayor Huelsenbeck, Kathy Flanagan, and the elected Ship Bottom council for entrusting me, a relative newcomer, with the delicate task of unpacking this significant piece of Ship Bottom history.
