Watts Towers
One man, Simon Rodia (1879-1965) created the Watts Towers.
In 1921, he purchased a small house and on his land, over the next 33 years, he alone sculpted two towers out of bent steel, wire mesh, cement, rebar, and thousands of pieces of broken tile, glass, and pottery. In 1955, he simply moved away.
In 1959, the city of Los Angeles tried to demolish the 100-foot structures, but as thousands of people watched, the towers would not budge. And so they have survived – and have become a monument to stoic will and creativity.
When Len Steckler first saw the Watts Towers, he was struck by their incredible power and immense beauty. He has photographed them as an offshoot of his “Off the Wall” series, focusing on the intricacies of each section, and finding pieces that most casual observers would miss.