Los Angeles Central Library opens 1925 time capsule as centennial programming begins

The Los Angeles Central Library marked its 100th anniversary by opening a time capsule that had sat in the building’s cornerstone since 1925 and unveiling artifacts that reflect the city’s multilingual and multicultural past.

Speakers at the centennial event described preservation challenges in removing the capsule and noted that staff accessed it through an interior opening to avoid damaging the historic cornerstone. Among the items recovered were early staff records and a scrapbook of library buildings; staff also discovered a nested 1881 time capsule from an earlier institution on the site, which contained, according to speakers, a black mourning cloth and dried moss related to the funeral of President James A. Garfield.

“The building itself proved that LA does have a history,” one speaker said, noting the surprise of the nested capsule and the survival of paper artifacts. The library encouraged Angelenos to visit centennial exhibits and time-capsule displays and announced yearlong programming across branches, including docent tours and workshops. Information was made available on the Los Angeles Public Library website and a dedicated centennial page.

The centennial coverage included related community activities such as Plant Day workshops and collaborations with local nonprofits that provide horticulture and sustainability education.