Theatre owner returns lost wallet to family 65 years later

ATLANTA (WANF/Gray News) - A theatre owner in Atlanta found a surprise piece of history while recently renovating the property.

For over 80 years, the Plaza Theatre has entertained guests with numerous stories, but it was during a November bathroom renovation that owner Chris Escobar discovered a different kind of story.

“Once we started taking off the old tile, we discovered a little piece of the wall that fell out in the corner,” he said. “And then we saw a space behind the wall that no one knew was there.”

That space was a small closet attached to what used to be a manager’s office that has now become a separate bathroom.

“That’s when we discovered an incredible, little historic find,” Escobar said.

A wallet from 1958, likely lost and stored in the manager’s office but never claimed, was found buried under brick and dust.

“I mean, this is a treasure trove of 1958,” Escobar said.

The wallet was complete with credit cards, family photos, gas receipts and the name of Floy Culbreth.

But could she possibly be located 65 years later?

Escobar enlisted his wife, who he calls an “internet sleuth” for the task.

Within hours, Escobar had his answer and met with the wallet’s owner’s daughter Thea Chamberlain.

The Escobars connected over social media and found that Chamberlain lives less than 20 minutes from the theatre.

“To be honest, mother losing stuff would not have been a surprise,” Chamberlain said.

According to Chamberlain, her mother died over a decade ago, but she is happy to pick up her mom’s lost wallet after all these years.

“It means more to me than I realized it would,” she said.

Copyright 2023 WANF via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.