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Finding Aid for the Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts Records
1388
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Title: Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts Records,
Date (inclusive): 1954
Collection number: 1388
Creator:
Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts
Extent:
25 boxes (11 linear ft.)
7 oversize boxes
Repository:
University of California, Los Angeles. Library.
Department of Special Collections.
Los Angeles, California 90095-1575
Abstract: The Towers in the Watts area of Los Angeles, nine major sculptures of structural steel covered with mortar, were built by
Simon Rodia. He called the towers “Nuestro Pueblo,” and built them without the use of machine equipment or scaffolding. In
1954, Rodia deeded his property to a neighbor, and after the Los Angeles City Department of Building and Safety ordered the
structure demolished, The Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts collected signatures and money, and devised an engineering
test that proved the Towers' safety (1959). In 1975, the Committee gave the Towers to the city, and in 1978 they were deeded
to the state, which undertook restoration work. In 1985, restoration responsibilities were given to the Los Angeles City Cultural
Affairs Department, and the Towers are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The collection contains materials
generated by the Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts relating to the effort to save the Towers, a selected bibliography
of articles about the Towers, photographs and pictures, legal documents, audiotapes, films, slides, videotape, transcripts
of interviews with Simon Rodia and others, and material regarding the Watts riots and the community response to the Towers.
Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library, Department
of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Language:
English.
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the UCLA Library, Department
of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Copyright to portions of this collection has been assigned to the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections. The library
can grant permission to publish for materials to which it holds the copyright. All requests for permission to publish or quote
must be submitted in writing to
the Manuscripts Librarian, Department of Special Collections.] Credit shall be given as follows: [c in circle] The Regents
of the University of California on behalf of the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections.
[Identification of item], Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts Records (Collection 1388). Department of Special Collections,
Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
- Gift of William Cartwright, 1984.
- Gift of J. Bud Goldstone, 1992.
- Gift of Norma Ashley-David, 1992.
- Gift of Herbert Kahn, 1997.
- Gift of Jeanne Smith Morgan, 1997.
The Towers built in the Watts area of Los Angeles, nine major sculptures of structural steel covered with mortar, are the
work of one person, Simon Rodia; born Sabato Rodia in Rivatoli, Italy in 1879, his family immigrated to the U.S. in the 1890s
and settled in Pennsylvania, and Rodia found work in rock quarries and as a tile setter after moving to the West Coast; purchased
property in 1921 and by himself began building what he called Nuestro Pueblo, without the use of machine equipment or scaffolding;
in 1954 Rodia deeded his property to a neighbor, and after the Los Angeles City Department of Building and Safety ordered
the structure demolished, The Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts collected signatures and money, devising an engineering
test that proved the Towers' safety in 1959; in 1975 the Committee gave the Towers to the city, and in 1978 they were deeded
to the state, which undertook restoration work; in 1985 restoration responsibilities were given to the Los Angeles City Cultural
Affairs Department; the Towers are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and are the location of cultural
programs.
Collection contains correspondence, plans and drawings, newspaper and magazine clippings, pictures, and internal and other
papers generated by the Committee relating to the effort to save the Towers. Also contains selected bibliography of articles
about the Towers, photographs and pictures, and legal documents relating to the Watts property, among them a copy of Simon
Rodia's will, announcements of Building and Safety Commission hearings, copies of grant deeds that were drawn up to continue
financial support to the Towers, and an insurance policy. Also contains audiotapes, films, slides, videotape, transcripts
of interviews with Simon Rodia and others, and material regarding the Watts riots and the community response to the Towers.
Arranged in the following series:
- Background (Box 1).
- Correspondence (Box 1).
- Minutes, proceedings, etc. (Box 2).
- Printed material (Box 2).
- Miscellaneous (Box 2).
- Ashley-David (Boxes 3-4).
- Goldstone (Boxes 5-6).
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the repository's online public access catalog.
Rodia, Simon, 1879-1965.
Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts--Archives.
Simon Rodia's Towers (Los Angeles, Calif.).