"In 1886, Gordon moved to New York City for further art training at the Art Students League. He became a staff artist for Century magazine and created some covers for The Outlook magazine. He also illustrated books by authors such as Clara D. Pierson, Ian Maclaren, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Ruth Ogden. In 1908 he moved to Westfield, New Jersey, where he served as mayor for five years (1916–21). He died of a heart attack in 1924."
Gordon signed his work with a few different monograms and signatures. These include a simple "G", "FCG", or "FG Gordon".