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Goldstone (N.J. "Bud") collection on Simon Rodia's Towers
LSC.1317
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Contributing Institution:
UCLA Library Special Collections
Title: N.J. "Bud" Goldstone collection on Simon Rodia's Towers
Creator:
Goldstone, N. J.
Identifier/Call Number: LSC.1317
Physical Description:
2.0 Linear Feet
(4 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1959-2002
Abstract: N.J. "Bud" Goldstone was a professional engineer and member of the Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts, Inc. In 1959,
he designed and executed an engineering test that proved the Towers' structural safety. The bulk of the collection consists
of Goldstone's detailed photographs and negatives of the Towers, documenting a restoration project completed between 1994
and 2002. The collection also includes the original 1959 structural integrity report and test plan, a set of microfiche from
the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department, and additional photographic materials.
Physical Location: Stored off-site. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located
on this page.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.
Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located
on this page.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All other rights, including copyright,
are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright
and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
[Identification of item], N.J. "Bud" Goldstone Collection on Simon Rodia's Towers (Collection 1317). UCLA Library Special
Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Purchase from N.J. "Bud" Goldstone, 2003.
Collections are processed to a variety of levels depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived user
interest and research value, availability of staff and resources, and competing priorities. Library Special Collections provides
a standard level of preservation and access for all collections and, when time and resources permit, conducts more intensive
processing. These materials have been arranged and described according to national and local standards and best practices.
Processed by Laurel McPhee with assistance from Robert Whalley in thr Center for Primary Research and Training (CFPRT), 2005.
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UCLA Catalog Record ID:
9953202873606533
Simon Rodia's Towers were constructed between 1921 and 1955 in the Watts area of Los Angeles. Built single-handedly by Rodia,
an Italian immigrant, the Towers consist of an elaborate walled enclosure containing seventeen sculptures of thin steel members
covered with mortar. The sculptures' surfaces are decorated with a mosaic of tiles, glass shards and objects. Rodia deeded
the property to a neighbor in 1955 when he left Los Angeles to live in the Northern California town of Martinez. After 1955,
the towers were neglected and fell into disrepair. The City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety determined the
Towers were a public safety hazard in 1957 and ordered their demolishment. The Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts,
Inc. (CSRTW) was immediately formed in an attempt to save the Towers. After a demolition hearing, the City agreed to a lateral
stress test, spearheaded by aerospace engineer N.J. "Bud" Goldstone, at the Committee's expense. On October 10, 1959, Goldstone
executed a successful proof-load test, demonstrating the Towers' structural stability. Goldstone continued to serve as a member
and an officer of CSRTW from 1960 to 1970, and worked to advance the issue of preserving and restoring the Towers through
the 1990s. In 1975, the Committee, which had preserved the Towers independently for 16 years, gave the Towers and Art Center
to the City of Los Angeles for operation and maintenance. In 1978, the Towers were deeded to the State of California. The
State undertook an extensive restoration project, but in 1985, responsibility for the Towers was again assumed by the City
of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department. Repair to damage caused in the 1994 Northridge earthquake was commenced in 1995
and completed in 2001. The Towers are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and are the location of cultural
programs.
The bulk of the collection consists of N.J. "Bud" Goldstone's detailed photographs and negatives of the Towers, documenting
a restoration project completed between 1994 and 2002. The collection also includes the original 1959 structural integrity
report and test plan; a set of microfiche from the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department, documenting their survey
of the Towers before restoration; and a set of transparencies by Los Angeles photographer Mitzi Trumbo.
Arranged in the following series:
- City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department microfiche, ca. 1995-2001.
- Photographs by N.J. "Bud" Goldstone, ca. 1994-2002.
- Miscellaneous, 1959-2000.
Items Removed from the Collection
A bibliography of printed works on Simon Rodia's Towers compiled by N.J. "Bud" Goldstone was removed from the collection,
and added to the collection file. Available upon request at the Department of Special Collections, UCLA.
Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts Records (Collection 1388). Available at Department of Special Collections, UCLA.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Architecture -- Conservation and restoration -- Archives.
Watts (Los Angeles, Calif.) -- Buildings, structures, etc.
Steel sculpture -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archives.
Simon Rodia's Towers (Los Angeles, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Simon Rodia's Towers (Los Angeles, Calif.) -- Archives.
Aerospace engineers -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archives.
Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts.
Goldstone, N.J.--Archives.
Rodia, Simon, 1879-1965.