BRISTOL – The American Clock & Watch Museum is taking sign-ups for a family time capsule program, which will be held Oct. 21 and will include a discussion of the time capsules left to the museum by its founder, Edward Ingraham.
Registration is open now for the time capsule program, which will be held Friday, Oct. 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the Museum at 100 Maple St. Program participants will be able to build their own time capsule. The capsule box and decorative materials will be provided. Participants can bring their own small items to put into the box, or make it there and pack it when they get home.
Patti Philippon, executive director of the American Clock & Watch Museum, encouraged participants to think about the items they are including will say about the time they lived in when the capsule is opened in 5 or 10 years or more.
"We'll talk about what sorts of things are good to put into a time capsule and what aren't," she said. "We encourage them to, for example, put a photo of their favorite restaurant menu in it, but not a sample of the food."
During the pandemic, the American Clock & Watch Museum offered take-home time capsule building kits. She said these were well received and she is looking forward to offering this activity in-person again.
The Clock & Watch Museum will also be discussing several time capsules that were left by founder Edward Ingraham. Ingraham, who was born in 1887 and died in 1972, was the great-grandson of clock maker Elias Ingraham, who founded the E. Ingraham Clock Company. He worked at the family business from 1927 through 1954 and would serve as the president of the company and later the president of the Board of Directors. Ingraham founded the American Clock & Watch Museum 70 years ago in 1952 and opened the building in 1954.
"He took time pieces off the assembly line and placed them in time capsules," said Philippon. "We opened a couple - in 1998 and in 2002 for the museum's 50th anniversary. Some of them contained clocks and watches in their original packaging. Others created cell sheets for advertisements and some included letters from Edward. A lot of these items are on display now."
Philippon added that the museum still has several time capsules left by Ingraham.
"One of them says don't open until 2025 at least," she said.
The Family Time Capsule Program is supported by the Bristol Rotary Club.
The cost to participate is $10 per family. Those who wish to sign-up must register by Monday, Oct. 17.
To register, call 860-583-6070 or visit clockandwatchmuseum.org.
Brian M. Johnson can be reached at 860-973-1806 or bjohnson@bristolpress.com.
bristolpress.com Phone number: 860-584-0501 E-mail: editor@bristolpress.com Address: 188 Main St. Bristol, CT 06010