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Gump's Treasure Trade: A Story of San Francisco
The story of Gump's of San Francisco - one of the most extraordinary establishments in America - is the story of a fabulous trade in treasure and of the men who built it.
This new up-to-date edition includes many photographs of objects in the famed Brundage Collection, the largest private collection of Oriental art in the Western world. This great gift to San Francisco contains many pieces that Avery Brundage purchased at Gump's.
Founded in California's gold-rush days by David Hausmann - great-uncle of Richard Gump, the current president - the store first provided mirrors for saloons and gilt cornices and frames for the luxurious houses and hotels which sprang up in San Francisco. By 1906, when Abraham Livingston ("A.L.") Gump inherited the store from his father, Gump's was purveying pictures and art objects as well. Under his direction, the store began to specialize in works from the Orient, particularly ancient China.
GUMP'S TREASURE TRADE is as much the story of A.L. Gump as it is of the store he helped to make famous. When he was told at the age of eleven that he would eventually be blind, he developed a rare ability to judge objects by touch alone and astonished dealers with his unfailing judgment. Despite the 1906 earthquake and fire and the depression of the 1930's, he made Gump's a mecca for lovers of art from all over the world.
Under Richard Gump's direction since 1946, a new philosophy in merchandising has emerged. Today's accent is on originality in design. With agencies of supply from Agra to Tokyo to Madrid, Gump's is an international treasure house in the heart of the city.
Carol Green Wilson skillfully re-creates the high-living boom days, the Bohemia of the early 1900's, the terror of the earthquake, Chinese jade hunts, fabulous discoveries, and more fabulous customers. One such customer, Frank Lloyd Wright, wrote in the Jade Room's guest book: "To Mr. Gump, a Western pioneer who will be built into this history of culture in our West."
Here is a book for art enthusiasts, lovers of San Francisco, and those who enjoy an exciting narrative well told.
This new up-to-date edition includes many photographs of objects in the famed Brundage Collection, the largest private collection of Oriental art in the Western world. This great gift to San Francisco contains many pieces that Avery Brundage purchased at Gump's.
Founded in California's gold-rush days by David Hausmann - great-uncle of Richard Gump, the current president - the store first provided mirrors for saloons and gilt cornices and frames for the luxurious houses and hotels which sprang up in San Francisco. By 1906, when Abraham Livingston ("A.L.") Gump inherited the store from his father, Gump's was purveying pictures and art objects as well. Under his direction, the store began to specialize in works from the Orient, particularly ancient China.
GUMP'S TREASURE TRADE is as much the story of A.L. Gump as it is of the store he helped to make famous. When he was told at the age of eleven that he would eventually be blind, he developed a rare ability to judge objects by touch alone and astonished dealers with his unfailing judgment. Despite the 1906 earthquake and fire and the depression of the 1930's, he made Gump's a mecca for lovers of art from all over the world.
Under Richard Gump's direction since 1946, a new philosophy in merchandising has emerged. Today's accent is on originality in design. With agencies of supply from Agra to Tokyo to Madrid, Gump's is an international treasure house in the heart of the city.
Carol Green Wilson skillfully re-creates the high-living boom days, the Bohemia of the early 1900's, the terror of the earthquake, Chinese jade hunts, fabulous discoveries, and more fabulous customers. One such customer, Frank Lloyd Wright, wrote in the Jade Room's guest book: "To Mr. Gump, a Western pioneer who will be built into this history of culture in our West."
Here is a book for art enthusiasts, lovers of San Francisco, and those who enjoy an exciting narrative well told.
306 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1949
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February 1, 2015
Gump's.
What more magical name than that up until 1975 when Richard Gump retired and sold the company, which was then resold over the years three more times. I would also recommend your reading of the transcript of Richard Gump's verbal history in the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley (his comments on Frank Lloyd Wright are great). And as an aside, my blog on Gump's on Goodreads (which describes an aspect of Richard Gump not mentioned in any book). I would also recommend the 1991 book, Gump's Since 1861, with its rich collection of photographs.
But Gump's Treasure Trade tells the whole story from the beginning. The author's 1949 book allowed her to interview the legendary A.L. Gump, with Richard in the background, thus the uniqueness of the work.
In the tv series, Streets of San Francisco, one of the episodes begins set in the original Gump's. This runs about 5-7 minutes, but gives a glimpse of the exotic atmosphere of the original store at that time.
The present store is beautifully laid out and is located across the street from the original Gump's building, but now only the golden Buddha is original Gump's, and it is the only item in the store not for sale.
What more magical name than that up until 1975 when Richard Gump retired and sold the company, which was then resold over the years three more times. I would also recommend your reading of the transcript of Richard Gump's verbal history in the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley (his comments on Frank Lloyd Wright are great). And as an aside, my blog on Gump's on Goodreads (which describes an aspect of Richard Gump not mentioned in any book). I would also recommend the 1991 book, Gump's Since 1861, with its rich collection of photographs.
But Gump's Treasure Trade tells the whole story from the beginning. The author's 1949 book allowed her to interview the legendary A.L. Gump, with Richard in the background, thus the uniqueness of the work.
In the tv series, Streets of San Francisco, one of the episodes begins set in the original Gump's. This runs about 5-7 minutes, but gives a glimpse of the exotic atmosphere of the original store at that time.
The present store is beautifully laid out and is located across the street from the original Gump's building, but now only the golden Buddha is original Gump's, and it is the only item in the store not for sale.
Displaying 1 of 1 review