Tour of the Gamble House, Pasadena, California

[Tarhead]

I took an afternoon off last week while working in California and visited the Gamble House in Pasadena http://www.gamblehouse.org/ . One of my Christmas stocking gifts was a ticket for their "Details and Joinery" tour. It was awesome! Jim Ipekjian leads the tour and gives an excellent hands on description of the methods the Hall brothers used in putting this magnificent house and furniture together. All I could do was try to keep my jaw attached to my face while I was there. One piece I saw and secretly took a few shots of (no photos are allowed inside the house) is a workbench in the garage. It doesn't show up in any of the archives but was designed by the Greenes in a Mission style in QS White Oak. Highly recommend visiting the house. General tours are Thurs-Sunday afternoons and are $10. More pics in my gallery.

[ptt49er]

I can only imagine how hard it was to keep your jaw attached, from the pics it looks like that was an amazing site.

[DaveO]

Man Mark, you really do suck. I would love to take that tour some day. I have followed several threads on other site about it. Unfortunately there has never been any more pictures than the stock ones. You might be the only one who pulled off a contraband pic
I am eagerly awaiting on of my B-day presents, Darell Peart's Greene and Greene Design Elements. They have to be my most favorite furniture/architectural designers of all time. I can only dream about studying their work in person.
Dave

[Canuck]

Strictly looking at the entrance way and your description I can only imagine what awesome finds are inside!!!!

Never been to California! You are fortunate that your work gives you such a great chance to see sites like this!!!

Thanks for pics, Mark!

Wayne

[Tarhead]

Yep Dave, the tour leader was able to pull things out, turn them over, and had a few pieces in various stages of refinishing/reconstructing for us to get a close look. One thing I noticed is that in a few places where a 45 deg. miter was used, like on the rounded corner of the headboard frame of this bed where the rail and style join: http://dpg.lib.berkeley.edu/webdb/gg...-Gamble-DA-162
a small lock was cut into the miter (like a lightning bolt) instead of a straight cut. You can see it if you zoom in on the corner of the footboard. Here's another exampe on the mirror frame in the same bedroom: http://dpg.lib.berkeley.edu/webdb/gg...&x=3376&y=1320
I looked in Bob Langs' G&G book and he uses a straight 45 deg. miter to join the rails and styles of the headboard and footboard frame. Hundreds of examples of this kind of detail by the Halls are all through the house and furniture.

There is a traveling exhibit of furniture on the road for the next year or so. It sounded like DC will be the closest it will get to us.

[DaveO]

It's joinery like that, that makes me such a fan. I find it interesting that everyone raves about the Greene brothers when it really was the Hall brothers (John & Peter) who crafted most of the pieces. They get very little mention. Designing something is great, executing that design is talent.
Dave

[JimmyC]

Originally Posted by DaveO

Designing something is great, executing that design is talent.
Dave

You got that right Dave, ask any layman that has ever worked with an engineer or an architect.


Jimmy