The Gamble House, also known as the David B. Gamble House, is a historic
American Craftsman
American Craftsman is an American domestic architectural style, inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, which included interior design, landscape design, applied arts, and decorative arts, beginning in the last years of the 19th century. ...
home in
Pasadena
Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial d ...
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
designed by the architectural firm of
Greene and Greene
Greene and Greene was an architecture, architectural firm established by brothers Charles Sumner Greene (1868–1957) and Henry Mather Greene (January 23, 1870 – October 2, 1954), influential early 20th century American architects. Active prim ...
. Constructed in 1908–1909 as a winter home for David B. Gamble, son of
Procter & Gamble
The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/con ...
founder
James Gamble, it is a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
and a
California Historical Landmark
A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in the U.S. state of California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance.
Criteria
Historical significance is determined by meetin ...
. It is open to the public regularly for tours and events.
History

Like a number of other wealthy Midwestern families, David and Mary Gamble chose to spend their winters in Pasadena, escaping the harsher climate of Cincinnati, where the Procter & Gamble Company was (and is) based. They were drawn to nearby examples of the architecture of the Greene and Greene firm, and hired the two brothers to design their home in May 1907. Considering that many Greene and Greene homes have been altered to some degree and stripped of original furnishings designed for them by the architects, the Gamble House is rare in being intact and unaltered, as well as containing all of its original Greene and Greene furniture.
David and Mary Gamble lived in the house during the winter months until their deaths in 1923 and 1929, respectively. Mary's younger sister Julia lived in the house until her death in 1943. Cecil Huggins Gamble and his wife Louise Gibbs Gamble lived in the house beginning in 1946. They briefly considered selling it, until prospective buyers spoke of painting the interior woodwork white. In 1966, the Gamble family turned the house over to the city of Pasadena in a joint agreement with the
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...
(USC)
School of Architecture
This is a list of architecture schools at colleges and universities around the world.
An architecture school (also known as a school of architecture or college of architecture), is a professional school or institution specializing in architectura ...
. The Gamble House was declared a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
in 1977.
[ and ] Today, two competitively selected students live in the house, changing annually.
Examples of the Greenes' architecture, including the Gamble House, fell out of fashion and were largely ignored by architectural critics during the 1930s and 40s. After the Second World War, however, their work received newfound popularity, mainly due to the efforts of Elizabeth Gordon, editor of ''House Beautiful'' magazine.
Gamble House was included in a list of all-time top 10 houses in Los Angeles in a ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' survey of experts in December 2008.
The exterior of the house gained worldwide exposure as the Brown Mansion, the home (in 1955) of
Emmett "Doc" Brown in the 1985 movie ''
Back to the Future
''Back to the Future'' is a 1985 American science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale. It stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson. Set in 1985 ...
'' and more prominently in the 1990 ''
Back to the Future III.
Additionally, the house was featured on ''
This Old House
''This Old House'' is an American home improvement media brand with television shows, a magazine, and a website. The brand is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. The television series airs on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) television ...
'' with then host
Bob Vila in 1987.
Design

The design of the Gamble House shows the influence of traditional
Japanese aesthetics
Japanese aesthetics comprise a set of ancient ideals that include '' wabi'' (transient and stark beauty), '' sabi'' (the beauty of natural patina and aging), and '' yūgen'' (profound grace and subtlety). These ideals, and others, underpin much of ...
and a certain California spaciousness born of available land and a permissive climate. The Arts and Crafts Movement in American Craftsman style architecture was focused on the use of natural materials, attention to detail,
aesthetics
Aesthetics (also spelled esthetics) is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of beauty and taste (sociology), taste, which in a broad sense incorporates the philosophy of art.Slater, B. H.Aesthetics ''Internet Encyclopedia of Ph ...
, and craftsmanship.
The house is located on a grassy knoll overlooking Pasadena's Arroyo Seco, a broad, seasonally dry river bed. The Greenes designed the house to complement its natural setting. The architectural details reflect a love of nature, as flowers and trees were brought to the interior—creating pictures in wood, metal, art glass, and semi-precious stone. The building itself appears enmeshed with the landscape, achieved by a blend of man-made materials such as brick and rough dash-coat stucco and natural materials such as granite river stones and the creeping fig
'ficus pumila">ficus_pumila.html" ;"title="'ficus pumila">'ficus pumila' that grows on the foundations of the terrace and steps.

The house displays a strong influence of Japanese architecture. Abstractions of clouds and mist, as well as other motifs applied to doors, windows, screens, beams, furniture, lanterns and more, show the influence of Japan.

A "theme of three" runs through the house, with three architectural or decorative elements often grouped together, sometimes symmetrically arranged, but often not. The use of asymmetry alongside classical balance reflects nature's welcoming of variety in proportions.
Interiors

The interior spaces were finished using multiple species of wood. Teak, maple, oak, Port Orford cedar, and mahogany surfaces emphasize color, tone, grain and utility. An overriding impression of softness derives from the treatment of the wood surfaces, all of which have been rounded to eliminate sharp edges. Custom furniture, some with delicate inlay of contrasting wood, stones or metal, was designed by the architects for specific areas of the house. Fireplace surrounds and hearths feature decorative tile; even the fireplace tools were designed by the architects.
One of the teak panels in the entry hall is a concealed, spring-latch door leading to the kitchen; another panel opens to a coat closet.
The Greenes worked with an experienced team of local contractors and furniture makers, led by Peter and John Hall, who had worked with them in Pasadena on several previous homes. They, together with the Greenes, insisted on a high quality of woodworking throughout the house and for its furniture.
The woods, the low and horizontal room shapes, and the natural light that filters through the art glass exterior windows coexist with a relatively traditional plan, in which most rooms are regularly shaped and organized around a central hall. Although the house is not as spatially adventurous as the contemporary works of
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key ...
, or even of the earlier New England "
Shingle style
The shingle style is an American architectural style made popular by the rise of the New England school of architecture, which eschewed the highly ornamented patterns of the Eastlake style in Queen Anne architecture. In the shingle style, Engli ...
," its casual plan reflects its original role as a seasonal home and its symmetries tend to be localized.
Ceiling heights are different on the first (8'10") and second floors (8'8") and in the den (9'10") and the forms and scales of the spaces are constantly shifting, especially as one moves from the interior of the house to its second-floor semi-enclosed porches and its free-form terraces, front and rear. The third floor was planned as a
billiard room but was used as a storage
attic
An attic (sometimes referred to as a '' loft'') is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building. It is also known as a ''sky parlor'' or a garret. Because they fill the space between the ceiling of a building's t ...
by the Gamble family.
Rooms
The living room was designed without doors so that the room would be as open and inviting as possible. It also consisted of a spacious sitting room, decorated with five rugs manufactured in Bohemia after a watercolor design by Charles Greene. Across from the fireplace, there is a window that leads to the terrace, which overlooks the garden. The expansive window was designed to let light brighten the room during the late afternoon. At the far end of the room lie bookcases, a small games table, and a piano to offer entertainment and leisure. The piano was designed by the Greenes to blend into the paneling of the room.
On the west wing of the house, the dining room is surrounded by the terrace and the garden on three sides. According to ''Gamble House: Greene and Greene'', by Edward R. Bosley, the room was designed to offer "nature to the indoors."
The entrance of the room is diagonal from the hall with two doors. The doors are decorated with cloud-designed glass panels. The transition from hall to room was designed to provide a sense of "anticipation and discovery".
Exterior and gardens
Outdoor space was as important as the interior spaces. Exterior porches are found off three of the second-floor bedrooms and were used for sleeping or entertaining.
The main
terrace
Terrace may refer to:
Landforms and construction
* Fluvial terrace, a natural, flat surface that borders and lies above the floodplain of a stream or river
* Terrace, a street suffix
* Terrace, the portion of a lot between the public sidewalk a ...
is beyond the rear facade of the residence. It has patterned
brick
A brick is a type of construction material used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a unit primarily composed of clay. But is now also used informally to denote building un ...
paving with planting areas, a large curvilinear pond, and garden walls made with distinctive
clinker brick
Clinker bricks are partially-vitrified bricks used in the construction of buildings.
Clinker bricks are produced when wet clay bricks are exposed to excessive heat during the firing process, sintering the surface of the brick and forming a shi ...
s and boulders. Paths made with large water-worn stones from the nearby
Arroyo Seco are reminiscent of running brooks crossing the lawns. The overall
landscape design
Landscape design is an independent profession and a design and art tradition, practiced by landscape designers, combining nature and culture. In contemporary practice, landscape design bridges the space between landscape architecture and garde ...
and constructed
garden elements are integrated with the architectural proportion and detailing. The triple front door and transom feature a Japanese black pine motif in plated (more than one layer) leaded art glass, highlighting the Asian influence that runs throughout the house.
California Historical Landmark Marker
California Historical Landmark
A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in the U.S. state of California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance.
Criteria
Historical significance is determined by meetin ...
Marker NO. 871 at the site reads:
californiahistoricallandmarks.com 871, Gamble House
/ref>
Images
File:Gamble House 2016-11.jpg, China cabinets
File:Gamble House 2016-7.jpg, A rocking chair
File:Gamble House 2016-5.jpg, Sitting room
File:Gamble House 2016-10.jpg, Dining table and chairs
File:Gamble House, back porch lamp.jpg, Outdoor lamp on the back porch
File:Gamble House 2016-13.jpg, The garden pond
David B. and Mary H. Gamble Professorship
The Gamble family established a professorship at nearby Occidental College
Occidental College (informally Oxy) is a private liberal arts college in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1887 as a coeducational college by clergy and members of the Presbyterian Church, it became non-sectarian in 1910. It is ...
. The professorship has been held by Buddhist Studies expert, Dr. Dale Wright, and is currently held by Historian of Late Antiquity Dr. Kristi Upson-Saia.
See also
* Anglo-Japanese style
The Anglo-Japanese style developed in the United Kingdom through the Victorian era and early Edwardian era from approximately 1851 to the 1910s, when a new appreciation for Japanese aesthetics, Japanese design and Culture of Japan, culture influe ...
* Japonisme
''Japonisme'' is a French term that refers to the popularity and influence of Japanese art and design among a number of Western European artists in the nineteenth century following the Bakumatsu, forced reopening of foreign trade with Japan in 1 ...
* List of National Historic Landmarks in California
This is a complete List of National Historic Landmarks in California. The United States National Historic Landmark, National Historic Landmark (NHL) program is operated under the auspices of the National Park Service, and recognizes structures, di ...
*
References
Further reading
*''Images of The Gamble House - Masterwork of Greene & Greene'', Jeanette Thomas, Univ. of So. Calif. 1989,
External links
Official Gamble House website
{{National Register of Historic Places in California
Houses completed in 1909
1909 establishments in California
Historic house museums in California
California Historical Landmarks
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in California
Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Pasadena, California
National Historic Landmarks in California
Museums in Pasadena, California
Arts and Crafts architecture in California
Houses in Pasadena, California
Bungalow architecture in California
American Craftsman architecture in California
Tourist attractions in Pasadena, California
Greene and Greene buildings
Gilded Age mansions