Love Thursday: Los Angeles’ Watts Towers by Simon Rodia, Italian Immigrant

11 CommentsThursday • July 22, 2010 • by michelle

This week’s Love Thursday comes from our trusty correspondent Salena who recently did a great 3-part series on the Watts Towers by Simon Rodia over at her place, The Daily Rant. Salena saw a special theme emerge as she was taking beautiful photos of this amazing creation, though, and she was kind enough to share with us:

Love Blooms in L.A.

I had never even heard of this magnificent structure — so imagine my surprise when I found out that the Italian immigrant who built it actually went to America to work in the coal mines of Pennsylvania. Rodia was from Ribottoli, outside of Naples, and his real first name was Sabato.

In 1921, Rodia purchased the triangular-shaped lot at 1761-1765 107th Street in Los Angeles and began to construct his masterpiece, which he called “Nuestro Pueblo” (meaning “our town”). For 34 years, Rodia worked single-handedly to build his towers without benefit of machine equipment, scaffolding, bolts, rivets, welds or drawing board designs.

Besides his own ingenuity, he used simple tools, pipe fitter pliers and a window-washer’s belt and buckle.

Construction worker by day and artist by night, Rodia adorned his towers with a diverse mosaic of broken glass, sea shells, generic pottery and tile, a rare piece of 19th-century, hand painted Canton ware and many pieces of 20th-century American ceramics.

Rodia once said, “I had it in mind to do something big and I did it.”

The tallest of his towers stands 99½ feet and contains the longest slender reinforced concrete column in the world. The monument also features a gazebo with a circular bench, three bird baths, a center column and a spire reaching a height of 38 feet. Rodia’s “ship of Marco Polo” has a spire of 28 feet, and the 140-foot long “south wall” is decorated extensively with tiles, sea shells, pottery, glass and hand-drawn designs.

Thanks so much Salena for sharing these photos and

this inspiring story about a man, a dream, love, hard work, and persistence.

Happy Love Thursday to all!

[All text in block quotes comes from the Watts Towers website.]

Love Thursday: Hearts Sprouting Up Everywhere

5 CommentsThursday • May 6, 2010 • by michelle

This week we have two reader submissions, but first let me direct you to a Love Thursday post I put up over at Goat Berries a few weeks ago: Pinta’s Heart-Shaped Stain:

I’m sure it *shocks* you to learn that one of our kids was born with a heart on her side…BUT there’s even more to the story, so do check it out!

Now, the first reader submission is from Funda in Connectict, whose mother happens to be from Puglia. Funda wrote:

I wanted to share a little love with you, that appeared among my seedlings. I recently planted some seeds indoors for my garden, and among the little tomato sprouts was such a sweet surprise.

Love it, Funda! Thanks so much for sharing!

And here are some wooden hearts from Austen in San Francisco:

Austen wonders if holding these hearts might be good luck…I’d be willing to try. They’re gorgeous! Love the lighting in the photo too.

I also want to take a moment to thank all of you who snap these wonderful photos and send them to my inbox; it’s always such a happy surprise to find them in there, on any given day, and to feel the love and warmth that comes through. Please do keep sending them in!

Have you seen or felt love sprouting up somewhere lately?

Has anything happened to make you more aware that love is all around? Do tell!

Happy Love Thursday everyone!