Norah Gurdon’s album is a rare record of her life in the Dandenong Ranges in the 1920s and 30s. In 1922, Norah purchased land in Kalorama and built a house which she shared with her sister Winifred. It would have been extremely rare for a single woman to do this at the time, particularly in such a rugged mountain location. The album, which dates from 1922 to 1936, records the building of her dream house, from the first visit to the site and clearing of the land, to selecting paint colours and moving in day. It also documents various friends who visited, with their photographs and signatures scattered throughout the album. Visitors include her former teacher from The National Gallery Art School, Bernard Hall, as well as a number of fellow artists such as Pegg Clarke, Vida Lahey, Dora Wilson, Jessie Traill, Blamire Young, Elma Roach, Louis McCubbin, Dora Serle, Anne Montgomery and Violet Teague. Norah’s house, which is situated on Grange Road in the Dandenong Ranges, still stands however has had numerous additions over the years. This album is in the collection of a resident of the Dandenongs whose grandmother was friends with the Gurdons. 3456789Next >