Time Capsule Containing Steve Jobs’ Apple Lisa Mouse
Considered Lost for More Than 10 Years but Uncovered 30 Years Later
Footage of the Capsule, Its Contents and the Excavation Available for Download
A time capsule containing the mouse from Steve Jobs’ first mass-marketed Lisa computer was uncovered in September 2013 on the grounds of the Aspen Music Festival in Aspen, Colo. The finding was made by National Geographic Channel’s Diggers team for the kick-off episode of the second season, airing tonight, Tuesday, Feb. 25, at 10 p.m. ET/PT, one day after what would have been Steve Jobs’ 59th birthday. Diggers airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
Footage of the capsule, its contents and the excavation is available here.
Stills are available here.
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| Steve Jobs' "Lisa" computer. |
Buried in 1983 during the now-defunct International Design Conference in Aspen, the tube was intended to be unearthed in 2000, but due to changes in the landscape, its exact location was unknown — until now. Working closely with the Aspen Music Festival and School and Harry Teague, one of the original members of the design team that buried the capsule, the Diggers team was able to narrow down the time capsule’s location using original survey coordinates and good old-fashioned math. The capsule was carefully excavated under the supervision of Diggers archaeologist Michael Durkin, and the contents of the capsule will be cataloged and evaluated before being turned over to the Aspen Historical Society.
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| Steve Jobs and his daughter, Lisa, the namesake of his computer. |
In addition to the Lisa mouse, the contents of the 13-foot-long capsule include a mix of early ’80s relics: an eight-track recording of The Moody Blues, a Sears Roebuck catalog, a June 1983 copy of Vogue Magazine, a Rubik’s Cube and a six-pack of beer. The time capsule was related to the theme of the conference, “The Future Is Not What It Used to Be.” At the conference, before donating the mouse, Jobs addressed the crowd in a speech that many believe predicted some of Apple’s great innovations to come, including the iPad, wireless networking and even the Apple App Store.
In the Diggers series, Tim “Ringy” Saylor and George “KG” Wyant scour the country for lost pieces of American history — from Civil War buckles to family heirloom rings and silver coins. Where there is an empty yard, field or beach approved for metal detecting, the duo see a treasure trove, and will go the distance to uncover “the juice,” as they call it, working in close collaboration with a local archaeologist or historian at every site. It’s not just the raw value of the object that gets them excited; it’s the thrill of the hunt and the possibility that the next artifact they dig up could yield the discovery of a lifetime or, in this case, a significant piece of tech — and pop culture — history!
For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com/diggers and follow us on Twitter at @NGC_PR.
