Name: Elson Gamble
Life dates: fl 1937-1972
Gender: Male
Occupation: retailer

Biography:

Elson Gamble was the son of the manager of Anderson’s Royal Polytechnic in Glasgow. On leaving school, he started work at Copland & Lye, then moved on to Mann Byers. He left Glasgow for a two year spell with D H Evans, followed by a brief period at Lyons studying silks. He then joined Lewis's Ltd, of Liverpool, moving to Anderson's Royal Polytechnic in Glasgow, after it had been taken over by Lewis's. In 1937, he was appointed manager of Thomas Muirhead & Co (Glasgow) Ltd just after its acquisition by Fraser Sons & Co Ltd in December 1936. He was charged with the supervision of the store's modernisation and refurbishment. In 1938, he was promoted to the post of general manager of the informally titled House of Fraser Group to co-ordinate the sales strategies of its four stores and to control stocks. In 1947, he was appointed a director of House of Fraser Ltd. In 1953, at the time of the takeover of Binns Ltd by House of Fraser Ltd, he joined the board of directors of Binns. In 1966, he was appointed deputy chairman of House of Fraser Ltd in place of Hugh Fraser who had just become chairman. He retired in January 1972 and was appointed honorary deputy chairman in recognition of his loyal service.

Sources:

Moss, Michael and Turton, Alison, A Legend of Retailing: House of Fraser, London 1989