Gump’s is a
luxury American
home furnishings and home décor retailer.
Gump’s was founded in
1861 in San
Francisco, California
.
History
S & G Gump was founded in 1861 as a mirror and frame shop by
Solomon Gump and his brother, Gustav. It later sold moldings,
gilded cornices and European artwork to those recently made wealthy
from the
California Gold
Rush.
The business flourished and eventually and was passed first to
Solomon’s son Alfred Livingston Gump. The fire following the
1906 Earthquake
destroyed the store and all of the merchandise, but thanks to Dodie
Valencia, A.L. received $17,000 for one of his paintings, which
allowed funding for the rebuilding and restocking of the store.
A.L. was fueled by his passion for Oriental art and began selling
his exotic collectibles from the Far East.
He sent his buyers to
Japan
and China, bringing back exotic rugs, porcelains,
silks, bronzes and jades to California's new
millionaires.
Richard Gump, one of A.L.’s three children, eventually became
president of Gump’s after his father’s death in 1947. He continued
the family legacy, running the company's overall operations.
Current
Gump's continues to operate a store in San Francisco, CA, as well
as a catalog and website.
The retailer's product offering ranges from
jewelry made from jade, precious gemstones, and
cultured freshwater
pearls to products from luxury designers such as Hermès
and Buccellati.
The store
has had several locations within San Francisco and currently is
located near Union Square, San Francisco
. A Ch'ing Dynasty
gilded wood Buddha, carved
for a summer palace in Northern China
, still gazes
serenely over the store's first floor. It was carved in the
Northern Manchurian Province of Jehol, the summer capital of the
Ch'ing Emperors in the early 19th Century. The piece, the largest
of its kind outside a museum, is the only item in the store that is
not for sale.
References
External links
Wikis
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