Gamble House Offers Unique "Upstairs-Downstairs" Tours

For three weeks only, The
Gamble House will open the doors to its servants' hall and rooms for the first
time in its history. Visitors to the House from Thursday, August
1st through Sunday, August 18th will be able to see and experience
The Gamble House from a new perspective – that of the people who lived and
worked there “in service.”

New information has recently
come to light about the Gamble family and its servants, allowing The Gamble House
to share more of the personal history of the House with visitors. On these special
one-hour guided “Upstairs-Downstairs” tours, visitors will:

• Tour areas
  of the House never before opened for public tours
• Have
  up-close views of special furniture pieces designed by Greene &
  Greene that are usually too far behind the velvet ropes to see in detail
• See the original
  laundry sinks and coal room in the basement
• Witness the
  careful ways the Greenes’ designed the servants’ spaces in the house
• Learn how
  the Gambles lived in, maintained and used the house, and many more unique
  findings

Please
note that most of the first floor - entry hall, living room, dining room, den,
and guest bedroom - will not be available for touring during this period
due to floor conservation work. The "Upstairs-Downstairs" tours,
which include the basement, all of the second floor and the third floor, will
be offered exclusively, and in place of, all regular public tours including the
Brown-Bag Tuesday mini tours. A maximum tour size of ten people will be allowed
on each of the Upstairs-Downstairs tours; we expect high demand so please book
early.WHERE:
The Gamble House, 4
Westmoreland Place, Pasadena, CA 91103

ADMISSION:  $20 per person; free for children 12 and under

Advance
purchase is not required but highly recommended as space is limited per tour
and tours often sell out. It is suggested that tickets be purchased early to
guarantee desired tour date and time. Tickets may be purchased either online or
by phone with a Visa, MasterCard or American Express. Walk-ins also welcome
when space is available.

WHEN:            Thursday, August 1 – Sunday, August
18, 2013

Tuesdays, 12:15 pm & 12:45 pm;

Thursdays – Sundays, every half-hour from 11 am – 3 pm;

No tours on Mondays and Wednesdays.

TICKETS/INFORMATION: Call
626-793-3334; or visit http://gamblehouse.org/tours/index.html; www.GambleHouse.org;
or email GambleHs@usc.edu

WHO:
The Gamble House
in Pasadena, California, is an outstanding example of American Arts and Crafts style architecture. The house and
furnishings were designed by Charles
and Henry Greene in 1908 for David and Mary Gamble of the Procter &
Gamble Company. The house, which is a National Historic Landmark owned by the
City of Pasadena and operated by the University
of Southern California, is open for public tours.



The architects worked closely with the Gambles in the design of the house,
incorporating specific design elements
to complement art pieces belonging to the family. Drawings for the house were
completed in February 1908, and ground was broken in March. Ten months later,
the house was essentially completed, the first pieces of custom furniture delivered, and the
house became the home of David
Gamble, his wife Mary, and two of their three sons: Sidney and Clarence.
In addition, Mary’s sister, Julia
Huggins, also lived with the family. By the summer of 1910, all of the
custom-designed furniture was in place.

David and Mary lived in the house until their deaths in 1923 and 1929,
respectively. 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
and briefly considered selling it. They soon changed their minds, however, when
prospective buyers spoke of painting the interior teak and mahogany woodwork white! The Gambles realized the
artistic importance of the house and it remained in the Gamble family until
1966, when it was deeded to the city of
Pasadena in a joint agreement with the University of Southern California
School of Architecture.

The
Gambles realized the artistic importance of their house. It remained in the
Gamble family until 1966 when it was deeded to the city of Pasadena in a joint agreement with
the University of Southern
California School of Architecture.