Los Angeles unveils time capsule buried 100 years ago

A time capsule buried beneath Los Angeles has seen sunlight for the first time in 100 years.

On January 29, the Los Angeles Central Library unveiled a copper box that had been buried inside the building on May 3, 1925, as part of events marking the library’s 100th anniversary. The contents will be on public display through the end of the year.

The time capsule was hidden behind a wall in what is now a men’s restroom on the library’s first floor. The library also released a video documenting the excavation process. The footage shows workers drilling a small hole to inspect the interior space, then carefully removing concrete until they located the copper box.

Inside the box are documents related to the library, booklets from local community organizations, scrapbook-style collections of photographs of downtown Los Angeles from a century ago, and annual reports—materials that together offer a glimpse of the city’s past.

The capsule also contains a list of library employees at the time, including not only librarians but also clerical staff, managers, and custodial workers. The detailed roster reflects the value placed on the contributions of everyone who helped build the institution as a public space.

Todd Laru, who led the time capsule excavation project, said the copper box itself is an artifact. “It is an important record that shows how people in Los Angeles lived 100 years ago and serves as proof of the library’s historical significance,” he explained.

The capsule also contained a smaller time capsule dating back to 1881, left by the California State Normal School, which once occupied the site and later became UCLA. That smaller capsule includes personal items belonging to the 20th U.S. president, James Garfield (1831–1881), coins from around the world, and a record noting that Los Angeles’ population at the time stood at 11,183.

Newspapers from a century ago also drew attention. In addition to local English-language papers such as the LA Daily Times and LA Daily Herald, the capsule included publications in Spanish (La Crónica), German (Sued Californische Post), and French (L’Union Nouvelle).

The multilingual collection offers a demographic snapshot of Los Angeles at the time, showing that while the city’s population was relatively small, it already comprised diverse immigrant communities.

John Szabo, the Los Angeles City Librarian, said the inclusion of newspapers and city records makes the capsule a “snapshot of Los Angeles at the time.” He emphasized that the library’s centennial is not merely a celebration of a building’s founding but an opportunity to reflect on the stories and urban history accumulated in the space over the past century.

The Los Angeles Central Library also announced plans to create a new time capsule representing the present generation. Like the capsule buried 100 years ago, it will contain materials and objects that capture what Los Angeles is like today and will be preserved for future generations.

BY YOONSEO SONG   [song.yoonseo@koreadaily.com]