The Hugo Awards originated in 1953 (honoring work published in '52) even though there had been quite a few Worldcons prior to that year. In 1994, Bruce Pelz, an active member of the Los Angeles Science Fiction Society, proposed that works produced before 1952 be recognized retroactively. The proposal was approved by the membership of the '94 and '95 Worldcons (all changes to the WSFS constitution require two years ratification), and the first Retro-Hugos were awarded at the LACon2 in 1996.
The rules state that the works so honored must have been published either 50, 75, or 100 years prior to the presentation of a Retro, so the '96 awards went to work that appeared in 1945, since if the Hugo had existed then they would have been awarded in '46. The 2001 Retros honored work published in 1950. The organizers of 2002's ConJosé chose not to include Retros on the ballot, and they were also not awarded at last year's TorCon3, but they were this year at NorEasCon4, and I have just updated this page to reflect those awards.
I'm not exactly sure of the specific wording of the rules for these awards, but If it is true that 100 years is the maximum prior period allowed for eligibility, then 2058 will be the last possible time Retros could be awarded, since in 1957 awards were given to periodicals only. Of course, by that time there will probably not be much interest in Retros (there are many fans now who don't think they are such a great idea) since there will not be anyone around who was alive in that prior year, much less many who would remember books and stories published then.
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