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Committee for the Simon Rodia Towers in Watts records, 1953-1989

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Catalog Data

Creator:
Committee for the Simon Rodia Towers in Watts  Search this
Subject:
Rodia, Simon  Search this
Morgan, Jeanne S.  Search this
Simon Rodia Towers (Los Angeles, Calif.)  Search this
Type:
Interviews
Photographs
Transcripts
Place:
Watts (Los Angeles, Calif.) -- Buildings, structures, etc
Place of publication, production, or execution:
United States
Physical Description:
0.2 Linear feet
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series. Series 1: Committee for the Simon Rodia Towers in Watts Records, 1953-1989 (Box 1; 0.2 linear feet)
Access Note / Rights:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Summary:
The Committee for the Simon Rodia Towers in Watts records measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1953-1989. The records include clippings, a transcript of the film The Towers , interview transcripts with the towers' creator Simon Rodia, materials related to the Watts Towers' false restoration, photographic material, and unpublished articles by Jeanne Morgan. The records were compiled by Jeanne S. Morgan, founding member, executive director, and chair (1978-1980) of the Committee for the Simon Rodia Towers in Watts.
Citation:
Committee for the Simon Rodia Towers in Watts records, 1953-1989. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Location of Originals:
This collection contains photocopies of photographs and artwork. The location of originals is unknown.
Funding:
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.
Biography Note:
Simon Rodia (1879-1965), a native of Serena, Italy, created the unique sculptural assemblage of the Watts Towers in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Reaching over 100 feet each, the seventeen interconnected sculptural towers were assembled over a thirty-three year period (1921-1954). The Committee for the Simon Rodia Towers in Watts was founded in response to plans by the city of Los Angeles to have the towers destroyed. For sixteen years the committee raised money, designed an engineering test to disprove the city's contention that the towers were unsafe. The members also ran an art center that offered free classes to the community. In 1975 the committee assigned the towers and art center to the city of Los Angeles.
Language Note:
English .
Provenance:
The Committee for the Simon Rodia Towers in Watts records were donated to the Archives of American Art by Jeanne S. Morgan in 1997.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
Topic:
Assemblage (Art)  Search this
Sculptors--California--Watts  Search this
Sculpture -- Conservation and restoration  Search this
Towers -- California -- Los Angeles  Search this
Theme:
Art organizations  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)6102
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)216296
AAA_collcode_morgjean
Theme:
Art organizations
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_216296