Purported to be an imperial Russian nobleman who escaped to the west after the Russian Revolution, he was a close friend and business associate of Jose L. Avellanal of Tampa. He and Avellanal were involved in the attempt to prove the identity of the woman who claimed to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia. During his colorful career he was a ballet dancer, owned and operated a perfume company and was for some years social director at a large resort hotel. This collection contains correspondence, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, and photographs on the interesting life and activities of Prince Alexis Gagarin. The collection was donated by the Avellanal family.
Collection guide available.
George Gandy was born in Tuckahoe, New Jersey on October 20, 1851. After a brief period of formal education, he found work in a manufacturing firm and worked up to a management position. He accepted employment with a railroad company and was quickly promoted to Vice-President. He died in St. Petersburg, Florida on November 25, 1946. Most of the material in the collection dates from the late 1910s through the 1920s and details Mr. Gandy's work as a real estate developer and businessman.