Sulgrave Hotel New York

Jan and Cora's increasing book sales  in the USA must have been  very encouraging in the 1920's  although it is not known if this was the only reason to send them there.
Certainly their books had been published in the USA from the outset, generally by Dodd Mead and co., and "Poor Folk in Spain" under its American title as "Two Vagabonds in Spain" which was previously serialised in 'Travel 'magazine during 1923.
( As far as I can establish this Dodd Mead title was the first instance of use of the 'Two Vagabonds '  series.)

On 29 April 1927 they sailed from Tilbury on the ship 'American Merchant' bound for New York, and they arrived with the other 40 passenger in the North River docks May10.

On arrival they stayed in the Sulgrave Hotel, at the corner of Park st and 67th street a vast monolith of a building far removed from their normal European choices.

Then after a short  while  moved on to Fairfield Connecticut where they met and lodged with their friends Richard and Charlotte Perry.

Richard Perry seen at the back of this photo was a wealthy scion of a noted and established Fairfield family, his father a judge, and his forebears have a number of public spaces named after them, according to the Charlotte was English born and believed to be an artist which one supposes must have been how they met, probably in Paris.

During their stay at the Perry house Jan and Cora bought the ancient car that they named after much equivocation, "the Happy Hearse"
These events form the first chapters of On Wandering Wheels. I have found very little further information about Charlotte and Richard Perry, so  any more facts from American sources would be welcome.

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inscribed to Richard and Charlotte Perry in recognition of the kind side of their friendship Paris 15/2/29. Obviously given or sent to the Perrys after the Gordons returned to Paris, I wonder about the slightly enigmatic wording, what was the other side of the 'kind' side?

Richard Perry

another nice little personal inscription, this time in a copy of Jan's 'Modern French Painters" According to 'On Wandering Wheels' this scene on Lake Placid would appear to be connected to the Bookshop there where they had a small exhibition.

After some intial excursions locally around New York State the Gordons,  with the aid of the Perry family chauffeur bought, for $150 an old  car, a big old five seater, 6 cylinder sedan of unknown make, certainly not a Ford T, (nor indeed the one illustrated right from Jan's  Studio obituary)which the fanciful newspaper report  of 5th May [below] stated. In which they set to in order to build a primitive camping car with an arrangement of planks to sleep on and set off in seek of adventure in Connecticut and New England.
The USA they found very different indeed to their European travels where they would seek out the cheapest accomodation in the most picturesque sites. I get the feeling they were smewhat disappointed, much later Cora was quoted as saying "... it wasn't quite their cup of tea...".

However the Gordons wandered on  down though the Eastern states as far as Georgia and Atlanta back up via Philadelphia and back to Connecticut  at the beginning of November where the trusty  and by now very battered and travel worn "Happy Hearse" met its end in a scrapyard for $15.

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In the following winter months the Gordons worked they way across the Northern States giving lecture tours. These lecture tours were  quite lucrative and provided a steady source of funds. They were always well received and attended.
In Chicago they were even invited to play their music on what turned out to be a rather shambolic radio show.

Excellent review of their lecture from the Clio Club

"Unconventional Lectures" aptly describes Cora Gordons talks in this brochure recovered from the USA

On their return from the first leg of the USA trip an exhibition at the prestigious Weyhe gallery had this nice review

After their return to New York they had an exhibition of their  first  USA paintings at the prestigious Weyhe Gallery which received a very favourable  review in the New Yorker magazine from the prestigious critic Murdoch Pemberton.

A good two page write up for the Gordons from The New York Times January 1928

A rather inaccuarate and fanciful clip from the NYT about Jan and Cora's itinery for their trip.

next hollywood.......