Architects' Update: Fort Moore Memorial Time Capsule Discovery

In July of 1957, residents of Los Angeles placed a time capsule in the Fort Moore Memorial monument.  Almost 60 years later to the day, a time capsule was discovered in the flag pole base during the Fort Moore Memorial Restoration project the architects at Sparano + Mooney Architecture are currently working on.

A letter from the former president of San Francisco State College, Dr. Glenn Dumke, proposed a time capsule and a list of items to be included, but it was uncertain whether this was ever done. What a great surprise to discover the time capsule existed!  Staff from the Department of Public Works and the Arts Commission found the time capsule.  Art Conservator, Donna Williams, says it is unclear whether the items in the capsule are the items that were originally proposed.  

The time capsule was made from several copper sheets, folded and soldered together to form a container. The materials and technique of making this container perfectly preserved all items, including photographs, documents, and a manuscript describing the memorial concept. Plans are in the works to digitize all items found in the time capsule for public viewing. Discussions are also underway to decide what to put into this generation’s time capsule, to be placed back in the same spot where the original one was found.

The Fort Moore Memorial in downtown Los Angeles, California marks the spot where residents first raised the American flag in 1847. Check out this link to the news story, and see if you can spot Sparano + Mooney Architecture Principal Ludwing Juarez and Associate Jorge Beltran in the video.  What would you put in the time capsule for 2078 discovery?