Homeowner finds 1994 time capsule – and then finds its owner

A time capsule discovery has social media up in arms. Here's why we love these tiny histories so much.

This week, a homeowner's discovery of a 1994 time capsule hidden in his crawl space has gone viral at a time when capsule creation has surged. 

Shortly after the new year in 1994, 12-year-old Nathan Headden hid a time capsule in his Springfield, Missouri home's crawl space, which he recalls being "a pretty scary place for a kid". The family moved out of the house roughly six months later. 

Last week, a new homeowner's contractor found the 30-year-old relic filled with '90s toys along with other odds and ends. Homeowner Stephen Graff posted on the social media platform Threads with a picture of the time capsule and the letter the 12-year-old penned. The internet did not disappoint – via word of mouth/Thread, Graff was able to locate Headden and thus spread an uplifting story about the nostalgia we humans crave.

Why do we have a fascination with the buried past and preserving our present? Krystine Batcho, an expert on nostalgia and a professor of psychology at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York, tells the BBC that nostalgia is rooted in a longing for the things we held dear during a bygone era. But it's also a way for us to cope with uncertainty about the future and even our mortality.

"A time capsule symbolises the desire to defy the reality of the passing of time, inevitable change, and the impossibility of immortality," explains Batcho. "Preserving what we feel represents us is a way of passing on our legacy to future generations."

As for Headden, who is now 42 and lives near Denton, Texas, he says he was thrilled to learn that his time capsule had been uncovered. People contacted him, his mom, and his younger brother on various social media platforms. "As an adult," Headden tells BBC, "it's crazy to me that this was found, but so heartwarming to see everyone's response and the memories shared. I hadn't thought about it in forever, but it is great to see it 30 years later. I love feel-good stories like this." 

Graff's Threads post searching for Headden has received more than 5,000 likes and nearly 200 replies. Headden reposted the thread, and his post has received thousands of likes and hundreds of responses. Headden's been fielding questions about the items he stashed in a Cain's Premium Coffee can and what his family members have been up to since.

As the story unfolds, Batcho helps us unpack the phenomenon of nostalgia, referencing two types: that of objects or events from our own past and that of objects or events from different generations that feature a "social-historical nostalgia". 

"Personal nostalgia yields added benefits, as it revives memories of our own lived experiences," she says. "Remembering life as we once lived it can elevate mood, remind us of people we have loved and who loved us, counteract loneliness, and enhance our sense of meaning and purpose in our lives." The future, Batcho adds, can be fraught with uncertainty, but nostalgia can also be a way of coping.  

Time capsule creation, for example, saw a surge during a time of global turmoil: the height of the pandemic. In 2021, The Bureau of Global Public Affairs reported that the number of time capsules created since the start of the pandemic was equal to the estimated number generated over the previous 350 years. The statistic originates from Adrienne Waterman, chairwoman of the International Time Capsule Society. 

"By remembering our past," Batcho says, "nostalgia softens the stress of coping with change and strengthens our sense of being in control. Archiving the best of who we are in a time capsule is a concrete way of defeating mortality, as part of us will remain even in a distant future." Nostalgia has also been shown to improve self-esteem and increase gratitude.

Headden's newly found time capsule loot is packed with '90s nostalgia and items of personal significance, including: 

"I included items I loved playing with at the time and a couple of things that confuse adult me," Headden says, "like the Little Smokies and alcohol wipe. What kind of kid thinks those need to be in a time capsule? I stayed a collector of things for sure". Hundreds of people, Headden adds, have been sharing their memories of Little Smokies though, along with a fondness for the toys and trading cards.

Nostalgia is often a yearning for the good times, Batcho notes. "Without the actual negative elements of reality," she says, "in rosy reminiscence, memories let us experience our past as better than it had been." But that’s not necessarily the case.

Something that most definitely is better in the present: Headden's spelling. In the time capsule letter, he described himself as "a 12 year old with the inetelect of a 30 year old and the spelling of a seven year old." Today, in written communications with the BBC, his spelling now proves impeccable – and he pokes fun at having called his mom an "angle". 

The collective reminiscing unfolding on the Threads posts about the time capsule also illustrates how nostalgia can bring us together. Headden says that sometimes social media can be a toxic place, but the viral story of his time capsule has netted a positive experience for him online.

"I wanted to be sure to thank Mr. Graff and his family for making his Threads post and reaching out when they found the capsule," he says. "It's been fun to share the discovery. I hope it inspires others to make time capsules with their kids or by themselves at any age."

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