After finding something on the floorboards of the theater, one of the workers yelled for help. It was only when they retrieved the curious object that they figured out what they had just pulled out. It was a brown leather wallet. The object was a bit tattered but remained in good condition overall. They could hardly contain their excitement as they opened it to check for its contents. They wanted to know who owned it. Once they saw what was in it, they could not help but let out a gasp of surprise.
Workers Found A Wallet From The Second World War While Remodeling A Theater
A Place Called The Talent Factory
There is a comedy club called the Talent Factory in Nevada, Iowa. The place had been there for the longest time. It was a quaint building that had seen several renovations over the years. However, there was a mystery that had haunted it for the longest time. Larry Sloan owned the place and was shocked when he laid his eyes on the wallet. To his shock, he realized that it was 71 years old.
A Place Called The Talent Factory
It Was In Great Shape
Larry found the wallet with the help of his workers. They are awed by the condition it was in. It had been lodged between floorboards, which must be why it was preserved so well. They saw that it was made of plastic, which made Larry think it belonged to a kid. He changed his mind after seeing its content!
It Was In Great Shape
The Movie Theatre
Larry had been the one to transform the old movie theater into a laugh-out-loud establishment. Originally built in the ‘20s, the building had witnessed generations of people walk in and out of its doors. A lot of people had their first kiss and went on their first dates in this place. However, Larry had never thought that he would find an ancient wallet with its original contents still inside.
The Movie Theatre
What Was Inside
Live performance comedians were going up on stage every single day. It was a pleasant place. It was not unusual to hear laughter coming from the building. However, not once did Larry and the staff thinks that they would stumble upon a treasure like this one. It had actually been there all this time!
What Was Inside
Hidden All These Years
As they worked on the building’s renovation, they found the old wallet between the floorboards on the third floor of the building. One of the workers said, “It was sitting right up on that ledge right there.” When they picked it up, they thought that someone had lost it not that long ago. They found out that they were sorely mistaken about that. In fact, the contents of it sent a shiver down their spine.
Hidden All These Years
The Old Wallet
When Larry spoke to KCI News 8, he said, “The wallet was plastic, the first thing that came into my mind was ‘This must be a child’s wallet’ I had no idea how old it would be.” He would soon find out something incredible about it. The only thing that he had to do was to open the wallet.
The Old Wallet
Its Pristine Condition
He held the wallet in his hands. Larry could tell that it had actually been there a while, but he was still surprised when he found out just how old it was. There was one thing inside of it that told him all he had to know. The wallet was in surprisingly good condition. While the brown leather of it had already faded, but there were other plastic parts too. When he opened it, he was surprised by what he found inside.
Its Pristine Condition
The Contents Of The Wallet
They were all shocked by what they saw inside the wallet in question. It was medium in size, but it still carried plenty of things. Larry and his employees first pulled out several old and faded photos. While this was fascinating, they still had no idea who owned it. And so, they kept digging.
The Contents Of The Wallet
There Were Ration Stamps
Their surprise only grew when they found ration stamps from the Second World War! They were in great condition, so they were confused about how long it had actually been in there. Could it really have been an artifact from that long ago in the past? They soon found other things to answer that question.
There Were Ration Stamps
A Boy Scout Card
They also found a Boy Scout card inside the wallet. It was old and had torn edges. Despite this, it was in good condition overall. Larry and the others had already figured out that it had been in the theater for a long time. It was just a matter of figuring out how long it had been since the owner lost it. They at least knew that the owner used to be a Scout. Is there any way to find out more about the wallet owner?
A Boy Scout Card
Old And Faded Photos
Among other things, they also found photos of people. These were clearly shot a long time ago. It was even more interesting to see that they were in good shape even though it had been there for decades. The photos ranged from women to men to kids to older people. However, they still had to look for the identity of the owner. Luckily, the answers they were looking for were all stashed away in one section.
Old And Faded Photos
An Old Calendar
There was also a pocket calendar over there. It was faded, but they could still see the year on it. They were shocked to see it read 1944. Larry and the others could not believe their eyes. Had the wallet really been in there for more than 70 years? When they started on the renovation, they knew that they would get to know the theater some more. However, they certainly did not expect to find anything of this sort.
An Old Calendar
His ID Card
By that point in time, they still had no idea who owned the wallet. This changed when they found an ID card that could help them! On the top of the card, they saw “Clare McIntosh” written in blue ink. It was the first and only lead that they had. However, they had no idea if she was still alive. Larry decided to do his homework. Was he going to find out anything about this mystery person?
His ID Card
A Boy Called Clare McIntosh
They had gone through nearly every single thing in the wallet. The last thing that they found was a black and white photo of Clare McIntosh. It showed a young man in a suit and tie. Even though they were fascinated by the photo, it did not help them much. After all, the wallet owner must have been in eighty years old or so by that point in time. It was a good thing Larry had an idea in mind.
A Boy Called Clare McIntosh
Looking Him Up
There was one part of the handwritten ID that offered a clue. It said, “In the event of an emergency contact R.E McIntosh, Iowa, Telephone number ‘8.’” As soon as Larry saw it, he thought to himself, “Wow, that is old.” He had to look into it some more, although he was at a loss for where to begin. He told KCI News, “When you’re doing something like that, 71 years later, the hopes of finding him alive and well were small.”
Looking Him Up
The Mystery Was Solved
While it was not easy, his hard work paid off in the end. At long last, Larry was able to find the man that he had been looking for. He got in touch with Clare McIntosh, who dropped by the Talent Factory and introduced himself to the owner. “So you’re the famous Clare McIntosh,” Larry told him. The older man only replied, “Yeah, I guess so.” The two of them laughed at that. McIntosh said that he was surprised to hear about his wallet after such a long time. He was also curious to see the contents.
The Mystery Was Solved
A Bittersweet Reunion
Clare McIntosh could not believe it. He looked at the contents of his old wallet with surprise and curiosity. When Larry phoned him to inform him about his discovery, the older gentleman felt confused. After all, his wallet was on his person! It only made sense when Larry shared that it was the one that he lost in 1944. As soon as he heard that, a shiver went up to his spine.
A Bittersweet Reunion
After So Many Years
The older gentleman did not expect that he would be reunited with his wallet. This was the first time he had seen it since he was 15 years old. It was a special moment for this older guy. With tears in his eyes, McIntosh pointed out all the people in the photos. “It is unreal; this is my sister, this is my boy scout card…” he said as he brought attention to the things he found in the wallet. “I thought at first it must be some joke, and I thought it couldn’t be!” According to him, he received a phone call that he did not see coming at all. Fortunately, he lived nearby. What did he plan to do with the wallet now that he has been reunited with it? According to McIntosh, he plans to cherish it for the rest of his life.
After So Many Years
