During the latter part of his life, Warhol created over 600 Time Capsules by collecting and storing various items in cardboard boxes and other common storage containers. Warhol would simply fill a cardboard box with a variety of objects that represented a period of time. Each Time Capsule became an archival treasure trove, teaching us about the life, art, and career of Andy Warhol. The items contained in his Time Capsules range from everyday ephemera to valuable artworks and everything in between (including autographed underwear)!

In this video you will learn more about Warhol’s Time Capsules, which are at the heart of The Warhol’s archives. You’ll also be invited to create your own Time Capsule as a way to tell your own unique story. You too can capture a moment in your lifetime through a collection of relevant and/or unusual objects.

So dad told me the tale of how a story was circulating around their Oakland neighborhood after the 1936 Pittsburgh flood. The story was that the Clark candy company was throwing out candy bars because they had been contaminated by the flood. When Paul, John, and Andy heard of this, they decided to venture down to the North Side to see if they could get any of the “free” candy. As young boys, they were not concerned about the safety of the candy. Fortunately, when they got to the Clark candy company, they realized that this was in fact just a story, with no truth.

Disappointed, they started their journey back to Oakland, on foot, of course. By this time Andy was already very tired; it had been a long walk from home (more than two miles from Oakland, through downtown, and across the bridge to the North Side). He looked to his older brothers to give him a “horsey,” allowing Andy to straddle their backs and have one of them carry him. Both Paul and John were equally tired and suggested that Andy just rest on the steps of the building they were passing. Andy did sit on the steps of that building at 117 Sandusky Street, a warehouse built in 1911 for Frick & Lindsay (supply distributors for oil wells, steel mills, and mines), and now the home of The Andy Warhol Museum.