Conditions Governing Access
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Conditions Governing Use
Preferred Citation
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Processing Information
UCLA Catalog Record ID
Biography
Scope and Content
Organization and Arrangement
Contributing Institution:
UCLA Library Special Collections
Title: Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts records
Creator:
Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts.
Identifier/Call Number: LSC.1388
Physical Description:
25 Linear Feet
(25 boxes and 7 oversize boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1954-1997
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. 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.
Conditions Governing Access
Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in
advance using the request button located on this page.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
CONTAINS AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS: This collection contains both processed and unprocessed
audiovisual materials. For information about the access status of the material that you are
looking for, refer to the Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements note at the
series and file levels. All requests to access processed audiovisual materials must be made
in advance using the request button located on this page.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright to portions of this collection has been assigned to the UCLA Library Special
Collections. The library can grant permission to publish for materials to which it holds the
copyright. All requests for permission to publish must be submitted in writing to Library
Special Collections. Credit shall be given as follows: The Regents of the University of
California on behalf of the UCLA Library Special Collections.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts records (Collection
1388). UCLA Library 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.
Processing Information
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 UCLA Library Special Collections staff, date unknown.
Encoded by ByteManagers using OAC finding aid conversion service specifications. Encoding
supervision and revision by Caroline Cubé. Edited by Josh Fiala, April 2004.
UCLA Catalog Record ID
Biography
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.
Scope and Content
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.
Organization and Arrangement
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).
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts--Archives.
Rodia, Simon, 1879-1965.
Simon Rodia's Towers (Los Angeles, Calif.).