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

The collection contains clippings including a 1989 letter to the editor of the Los Angeles Times written by Jeanne Morgan to comment on the false restoration of the Watts Towers and the city of Los Angeles' abysmal security and tower conservation efforts, as well as a short clipping concerning Rodia's inspiration for the aesthetics of the towers.

The collection's film transcript comes from the 1953 film The Towers. The film focused on Simon Rodia and his creation of the Watts Towers, and was directed and photographed by committee member William (Bill) Hale, and eventually transcribed by Jeanne Morgan in 1976 from the film's soundtrack. The transcript includes direct quotes from Simon Rodia and a bibliography from research for the film.

Interview transcripts include 1953 interviews with Rodia in preparation for the movie The Towers by Bill Hale and Ray Wisniewski, a transcript of a 1960 report given by Jeanne Morgan to the Committee for the Simon Rodia Towers in Watts, a 1961 report given to the committee by Jody Farrell following a visit with Simon Rodia, and a 1983 transcript prepared by Jeanne Morgan of an interview with Simon Rodia following his attendance at a screening of The Towers.

Also included is material related to the 1978 false restoration of the Watts Towers, including evaluations of restoration work by Ralph Vaughn, and documents from the resulting legal case against Vaughn for issues with his restoration work and the subsequent damage to the Towers. Deposition transcripts with Jeanne Morgan and the Committee for the Simon Rodia Towers in Watts are contained within this material.

Photographic materials include photocopies of film negative strips, photocopies of images of the Watts Towers, and photocopies of portraits of Simon Rodia. Photocopies of original artwork created by Jeanne Morgan are also included. No original photographs or artwork are included.

The records also house a group of unpublished articles, containing an autobiography of Jeanne Morgan titled My Life with the Watts Towers, and an unpublished manuscript written by Morgan titled Rodia's Towers in Watts Suffer Savage Restoration and Neglect. The latter writing is about the Watts Towers, their faulty restoration, and the work of Morgan and the Committee for the Simon Rodia Towers in Watts to protect the structure.