Holland, Mich. -- Boxes full of educational films recently arrived at Michigan's Holland Museum, but unfortunately the packages were originally expected 34 years ago.

Officials at the museum in Holland, Mich., said they were confused why last week's postal delivery took more than three decades to reach its final destination, the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press said Friday.

"We were just so curious," museum archivist Deborah Postema-George said.

The films initially had been lent out in 1973 by the city's Netherlands Information Service, which the museum replaced, and apparently were lost in transit on their way back to the museum.

While the exact reason for the boxes' sudden appearance remains a mystery, Holland Postmaster John Masuga postulated their re-emergence was thanks to a spring-cleaning effort.

Masuga told the Press someone likely had stored the boxes decades ago and only unearthed them while cleaning, prompting them to send the films to their rightful owners.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International.