Sneak Peek Fridays Special

Το Λιοντάρι και ο Μονόκερος, τα αγάλματα-ορόσημα της Βοστώνης, κοσμούν το ρολόι της στέγης του παλαιού κυβερνείου της πόλης (The Old State House) για περισσότερο από έναν αιώνα —αποκαθηλώθηκαν και καταστράφηκαν το 1776 μετά τη Διακήρυξη της Ανεξαρτησίας καθώς ήταν σύμβολα του βρετανικού στέμματος, αλλά ακριβή αντίγραφα επανατοποθετήθηκαν το 1881. Έκτοτε έχουν υποστεί μηδαμινές εργασίες συντήρησης –οι τελευταίες το 1976– χωρίς να μετακινηθούν ποτέ από τη θέση τους. Μέχρι που, στις 14 Σεπτεμβρίου του τρέχοντος έτους, το Λιοντάρι αποκαθηλώθηκε για ακόμα μια φορά, προκειμένου να γίνουν έργα συντήρησης. Οι συντηρητές εκμεταλλεύτηκαν αυτό το διάστημα, για να ερευνήσουν επίμονες φήμες από το 2011, πως μια χρονοκάψουλα είχε τοποθετηθεί μέσα στο κούφιο μέρος της κεφαλής του Λιονταριού γύρω στο 1901. Χρησιμοποίησαν μικρο-κάμερα οπτικών ινών, την οποία πέρασαν μέσα στο άγαλμα από μια οπή και τότε βρέθηκαν μπροστά στο μικρό χάλκινο κουτί που αποδείχτηκε ότι δεν ήταν αστικός μύθος! Παρακάτω θα βρείτε λινκ για το άρθρο που αποκαλύπτει το περιεχόμενο της πολύτιμης χρονοκάψουλας…
{Σε περίπτωση που σας ξέφυγαν οι δημοσιεύσεις από τη δική μας επίσκεψη στο μουσείο του Old State House, σχεδόν ένα μόλις μήνα πριν την απίστευτη ανακαλύψη, μπορείτε να τις βρείτε εδώ: The Old State House, part 1 ~ The Old State House, part 2 ~ About Revolutionary Characters}
The Lion & Unicorn Statues of The Old State House
The statues, which have been weather-beaten and slightly chipped due to high winds funneling through that section of the city, are replicas of the original animals that were installed in 1713, under British rule, when the building was constructed and established as the official seat of government for the Massachusetts Bay Colony, prior to the American Revolution.
The original statues were torn down by revolutionaries in 1776, according to the Boston Art Commission, when the Declaration of Independence was read from the balcony of the building, which faces toward what’s now known as State Street. At that time, those statues were destroyed in a fire in the Town Square as a sign of rebellion.
It wasn’t until 1881, when the Bostonian Society was officially formed to preserve the Old State House, and it went through a series of restorations, that wooden replicas of the unicorn and lion were built and put back up on top of the building. Due to weather, however, those soon rotted, and by the turn of the century new replicas—the same ones now seen by thousands of people on a daily basis—made of copper and steel, and coated in gold leaf and silver metal, were put in their place.
Mounted on what’s referred to as the east façade, besides some very minor repairs applied to the unicorn statue onsite seven years ago… the animals haven’t been touched since around the time of the country’s Bicentennial celebrations in 1976.
And then this happened:
Drumroll, Please: What’s Inside the Old State House Time Capsule
Yes, a time capsule, more than a 100 years’ old, found in the head of the golden lion statue!! It’s existence had been rumored since 2011, when Samuel Rogers’s (a Civil War veteran/the man who put the capsule together) great-great-granddaughter found a letter that mentioned it was placed inside the lion! All the more reason to visit again when these items are on exhibit…
In case you’ve missed the posts about our visit to Old State House, in Boston this summer here they are: The Old State House, part 1 ~ The Old State House, part 2 ~ Revolutionary Characters
Have a great weekend! ~ Καλό Σαββατοκύριακο!

That’s amazing, Athena. I only have purrs inside of me 😀 Pawkisses for a Happy Weekend my furriend 🙂 <3
Awww, my little friend! Purrs are just as valuable -or even more so! Happy weekend to you and Granny 🙂
I heard about the time capsule this week! I wonder how many there are in structures or statues all over the world that have managed to stay hidden?
Well, they always fascinate me because it’s never been a common practice in Greece… then again, I guess our time “capsules” are a little larger scale (aka ancient ruins and old temples all over the place, lol)… Still, modern history could use them!! Now I want to go back to Boston, when they put the items on display! 🙂