The capsule was found last week in the pedestal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Virginia.
CNN affiliate WTVR broadcast a live stream that showed the process being carried out by experts in historic preservation.
The container was made of lead, which was corroded, so the delicate process took several hours as experts used multiple tools to gnaw at the box.
It started at 10 a.m. and ended around 3 p.m. when Governor Ralph Northam lifted the capsule lid to reveal the items.
Katherine Ridgway, curator at the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, was one of the experts working on the process and notes that one of the books had “love” written on it and a coin was attached, according to WTVR.
There was also a fabric envelope, which experts say appears to contain a piece of paper and possibly a photo, according to the live feed.
The items were all wet from the moisture that had accumulated inside the lead box, so experts had to work carefully to remove them and make sure they remained preserved.
“Since the artifacts are wet, they will be put in the freezer to prevent further deterioration,†Ridgway told WTVR. It is not known how long this preservation process will take at this time.
History of the time capsule
Workers found the time capsule on Dec. 17 during the dismantling of the 40-foot pedestal on Monument Avenue in Richmond, according to a press release from the Northam office.
The time capsule was found in the pedestal tower about 20 feet above ground level.
Workers also dug a large hole 5 feet deep near the cornerstone of the pedestal in hopes of finding the time capsule.
The state plans to store the pedestal until authorities decide what to do with the partial monument.
CNN’s Amir Vera and Artemis Moshtaghian contributed to this story.