What were Jan and Cora Gordon up to a century ago in 1920?
1920 was an important year for Jan and Cora Gordon. The war was over, they had re-established themselves as artists in Paris (though retaining attics in Bloomsbury), and planned a lengthy expedition to sunny southern Europe. Their five month excursion to Spain produced many works of art and a book , " Poor Folk in Spain ," initiating the " Two Vagabonds " series which made them famous. Cora Gordon wrote, " Jan had conceived a passion for the Spanish guitar during the war and was determined to sample the music of this instrument at source . ." and visit Spain they then did. The book relates numerous amusing incidents from their time there. An exhibition of the paintings produced during the time in Spain took place at the Burlington Gallery at the beginning of 1921. One specific guitar figured strongly in the book. "I have an old guitar. It is a unique instrument, none other like it has ever been seen in Spain" said the man who sold the g