Then and Now: On Janss Steps - 1929 and 2025

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wo years after changing its name from “Southern Branch of the University of California,” the school now known as UCLA moved from Vermont Avenue to a sparsely developed area of gently rolling terrain in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains between the coast and Beverly Hills. In this photo (inset), we see dignitaries at opening day of the new Westwood campus in September 1929.

Optimism was high with the Roaring Twenties seemingly showing no signs of slowing and a beautiful new campus taking shape in a city undergoing a population boom fueled by film, oil, manufacturing and tourism.

The men in the historical photo are dressed in a fashion that is now reserved for the most special of occasions – with suits and hats the order of the day. And while this certainly was a special occasion, the general appearance of a crowd at any public event in those days would have not been significantly different. The only two men not wearing a tie are also hatless; their attire must have been the 1929 equivalent of shorts and flip flops. The 2025 visitors in the photo would have looked quite out of place on opening day, with not a collared shirt in site.

The opening day visitors are walking down Janss Steps, constructed in 1928-29, designed by architect George W. Kelham and named after the real estate development company that donated the land on which UCLA sits. In the background is the iconic architectural symbol of the University, Royce Hall. In front of the visitors, as they head west down the steps was…not much. To see what their view would have been, check out this UCLA Alumni Then and Now retrospective.

Photo Challenge

For a chance to be featured in a future article and posted on social media, share with us a Then & Now photo of yourself on the same spot on campus during two different time periods. Or just send an old photo of yourself on campus and we’ll superimpose it over an image with the same backdrop, similar to the photo above. Send photos to connectfeedback@alumni.ucla.edu.

Historical photo courtesy of Water and Power Associates.

Visit the "Then and Now" archive.

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