Northern Lights is a project based on the unpublished memoir of Grace Storey Putnam. Grace was an artist, pioneer, mother, and dreamer who gained notoriety for creating the Bye-Lo Baby, one of the first realistic-looking baby dolls in America.
Grace’s first husband, Arthur Putnam, was a notable sculptor whose work is a permanent fixture at the De Young Museum and Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. He was a member of The Bohemian Club, The National Sculpture Society of America, and The French National Society of Sculptures. After suffering a stroke and brain tumor at the height of his career, Arthur’s artistic genius was lost. He is known as one of the most influential sculptors of the American West.
Arthur and Grace were integral figures in San Francisco’s Bohemian art scene in the early 1900s. They were part of a deep-rooted community of influential artists like Bruce Porter, Jack London, Gottardo Piazonni, and Alice B. Toklas.
