Reliving an era by opening time capsule

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - June 30th, 2009 marks the ceremonial end of Buffalo's venerable Memorial Auditorium.

During a ceremony this afternoon, a time capsule from the 1939 construction site of the Aud was opened.  The time capsule is made of copper and is the size of a shoe box. It went into the cornerstone of the Aud in 1939 and that era of life in Buffalo was relived when the capsule was opened.

The massive Auditorium was built as a public works project in the depression era.  It cost $3 million dollars to put up, and was dedicated as a "war memorial".  It is costing about $2 million dollars just to take it down.

Back in December of 2007, we got our first look at the Aud after it had been mothballed for years.

It was exciting to feel the presence of the old Aud, but also sad.

Sabres French Connection great Rene Robert shared a few memories at the time.  "People could see you sweat. They were so close to you that they could see the sweat drip off your face, and every given night it was the same fans sitting in every seat, so you became familiar with all of them, and you became friends with a lot of them," said Robert, on December 19, 2007.

One of the three still photographs was also selected the winner in the Aud Demo Photo Contest during the formal ceremony.