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4worldlovers: Lee Sanders was destined for a life in art and architecture. His parents, interior designers and antique collectors, greatly influenced his love of historic buildings, antiques, and the decorative arts. His uncle, a devotee of Frank Lloyd Wright and Midcentury Modernism, instilled an appreciation for the avant-garde. Add to the mix youthful visits to historic homes throughout the country and you can see why The Gamble House was a perfect fit.

It was 1988 and Lee was hard at work in his 15th year at the Norton Simon Museum’s bookstore, a high-end shop in Pasadena that carried a wide assortment of books and gifts relating to the world of art. He wasn’t actively looking for a change, but then-Director Randell Makinson came into his life at that moment, enticing him with the brand new position of…Gamble House Bookstore Manager.

Momentum was on our side. Lee had visited The House and through his work met Gamble House Docents including Rea Taylor. Furthermore, Lee’s favorite aunt, Ruth, a docent for 25 years at the Seattle Art Museum, was very encouraging. It was time for a change, new challenges, fresh experiences, and Randell was very persuasive.

Shortly after the House opened to the public in 1966, a few books were available for visitors to purchase. By March 1988, when Lee was hired, the Bookstore had grown under the guidance of longtime Gamble House Docents Virginia Martens and Doris Gertmenian and offered a selection of books and magazines relating to the work of Charles and Henry Greene.

From its origins in the House, the Gamble House Bookstore had been moved to the garage where it shared space with the Greene & Greene Library (later renamed the Greene & Greene Archives). A partition wall that didn’t compromise the structure separated the two groups with the Bookstore on the right.

Some Greene & Greene furniture that had been gifted to the House was stored in the garage and Lee recalled that his first display table came from the Robinson House in Pasadena. “Even though it was covered with padding it made me nervous to use and be responsible for the care of this historic piece,” he said. His office was at the back of the garage on the right with the door opening to the Rose Garden. It was, he said, a privilege to occupy such a space.

Lee had never worked with docents at the Norton Simon, but thanks to his family he appreciated the value of volunteering. With Virginia as the Docent liaison and her vast knowledge of the store’s operational history, he soon grew to enjoy what he refers to as “The Gamble House way.” Anyone who has taken docent training or worked at the House probably understands what that means (Lee trained with the Class of 1989). Before long, the Library moved to the Huntington, the Robinson table had another home there, and the room divider was gone.

When Lee arrived, the Arts & Crafts craze was relatively young and the Bookstore primarily spotlighted The Gamble House and Greene & Greene. When he left 10 years later, the focus had expanded to include Arts & Crafts in America—with books on Hearst Castle, Bernard Maybeck, Gustav Stickley, the Roycroft community, Ernest Batchelder, and more; and Arts & Crafts internationally—with tomes on Charles Rennie Mackintosh, William Morris, and others. He also shared his passion for decorative arts with books on Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and other movements that caught the public’s interest.

Inventory was key. Under the earlier setup, when an appropriate book was newly published, the entire run was acquired. One of Lee’s first projects was to return large quantities to the publishers. He led Virginia and her talented and dedicated crew of Bookstore Docents as they transferred to a more efficient management system.

Randell, encouraging and appreciative, sent Lee to Chicago to see the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio as well as attend book shows. The contacts he made helped expand his vision and the scope of the Bookstore.