On May 16, 1929, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences handed out its first awards, at a dinner party for
around 250 people held in the Blossom Room of the
Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California.

The brainchild of Louis B. Mayer, head of the powerful MGM
film studio, the Academy was organized in May 1927 as a
non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and
improvement of the film industry.

Unlike today, the winners of the first Oscars—as the coveted
gold-plated statuettes later became known—were announced
before the awards ceremony itself.

Members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences (AMPAS) in 1929. Janet Gaynor (center)
holds her statuette for Best Actress.