For the month of July, LAC and the Leach Library are offering a special posthumous exhibit of wildflower and wildlife art by Marjorie Dyke Putnam Caswell (1895-1979). Many of these whimsical paintings are flowers we may recognize in our yards on the trails–aster, red clover, black-eyed susans, evening primrose, and much more.
Dive into Marjorie’s colorful world as you tour her botanical paintings, set up on easels around the perimeter of the library. These works, likely produced after World War II, represent only a small portion of her collection of over 75 pieces based on her environment living in New Hampshire and Vermont.
This exhibit was graciously lent to the Leach Library by her granddaughter, Jan McLaughlin, who received her first set of oil paints from Marjorie and now leads arts and crafts workshops at Londonderry Senior Center and Connect 55+ in Londonderry. Stop in to view Marjorie’s nature-inspired work through the month of July.
A dynamic life
Marjorie Putnam was born in Vermont and spent her youth in Pinnardville, NH (a section of Goffstown). She attended a special integrated arts and design program for young women in Chicago, where she developed a variety of skills. When she got married in 1918, she listed her occupation as “designer,” a powerful choice in an era where women were expected to be homemakers. In the 1930s, she gave workshops in the local area about designing and constructing fishponds, a testament to her wide skillset.
After Pearl Harbor, Marjorie (like many American women) joined the workforce as a “Rosie,” building planes for the US Army and Navy in San Diego. One day, she assisted some men who were having trouble deciphering design changes in blueprints. As a result, she was offered a civilian position with the Navy at the secretive North Island just outside San Diego. There, she helped design camouflage for warships, a critical defense mechanism during the war.
Marjorie passed on her love for the arts to her family members, many of whom developed artistic practices of their own.
DISPLAY YOUR WORK
The Arts Council invites local artists to display their work for a month at the Leach Library. We are currently revamping our application process, so if you are interested in displaying, please submit an inquiry using the contact form at the bottom of this page. To date, we have hosted painters, illustrators, photographers, writers, jewelry makers, and others. Please note all months in 2023 are filled up but we are accepting submissions for 2024.
