Time Capsules

Andy Warhol collected everything from cookie jars to contemporary art, scouring auction houses, antique stores, and flea markets for new treasures to add to his many collections.

The Time Capsules are Warhol’s largest collecting project, in which he saved source material for his work and an enormous record of his own daily life.

It is in Warhol’s spirit of collecting that the Community Time Capsules and the Gen-Z Time Capsule were created. These time capsules are a collection of personal objects and stories that provide a window into Pittsburgh’s rich immigrant culture as well as Generation Z’s emergence as a defining force in contemporary culture

Andy Warhol’s Time Capsule 21

Explore over 50 objects from Time Capsule 21 (TC21), including photobooth photos, business records, personal notes and cards, record albums, newspaper headlines, and source material for Warhol’s artworks. Full of material dating from the 1950s to the early 1970s, the contents of the box offer a lens to examine the diverse aspects of Warhol’s art and life and the socio-cultural context of his time.

Browse Time Capsule 21

Items collected by Andy Warhol including photographs, ticket stubs, and letters.

Community Time Capsules

Explore over 100 objects from local immigrant and ethnic communities documenting their journeys and contributions to western Pennsylvania. African American, Carpatho-Rusyn American, German American, Italian American, and Russian American participants mined their homes and communities, gathering photos, clothing, records, heirlooms, and other belongings recounting their stories through the objects they’ve collected.

Browse the Community Time Capsules

Various items representing different immigrant communities in the United States, including kitchenware, photographs, and letters.

Gen-Z Time Capsule

Generation Z—born between 1997 to 2012—is emerging as a defining force in contemporary culture, and yet for many these young people remain a mystery.

The Gen-Z Time Capsule is a first-of-its-kind exploration of these dynamic and multi-layered individuals, giving them the opportunity to further introduce themselves and their generation to the world by contributing images and videos of the items, people, places, beliefs, and activities that are most important to them.

Started in 2020, The Gen-Z Time Capsule project is a collaboration between the Learning and Public Engagement department at The Andy Warhol Museum and Harvard-trained educator, artist, author, and Gen-Z advocate John Schlimm, as well as the millions of Gen-Zers and others who work with them around the world.

Browse the Gen-Z Time Capsule

Collage of several GenZ icons including Taylor Swift, a US soldier and a masked woman holding a protest sign

If you are interested in learning more about the Gen-Z Time Capsule project or would like to schedule a presentation for your group please contact us directly at AWMeducation@warhol.org.

We also prepared a one-page Discussion Guide to ignite a conversation with your group!