• Mood: artistic

To the Garceaus, from the Gables

Jean Garceau was the personal secretary for Clark Gable for many years, and was a trusted friend of both Gable and Carole Lombard. For Christmas 1941, the couple presented Jean and her husband, Russ Garceau, with a suite of bedroom furniture, including a pair of twin beds, a night stand, a wash stand, and a lamp constructed from one of Lombard's pink Staffordshire teapots.

Along with the suite came a plaque, woodburned by Carole herself:



If you look a little closer, you can find a typical Lombard touch: a reference to her husband as "Clarkie." Many thanks to The Lombard Archive for these pictures of this gift and the accompanying information.

The Garceaus must have been overjoyed over the entire package...but tragically, less than a month after receiving them, one of the giftgivers would be gone.