Harold and Beatrice Putnam were the husband and wife team behind the Putnam Feature Services. Harold was the photographer and Beatrice was the writer. Together they pooled their talents in the publication of books, brochures, travel guides, film strips, and slide shows. Operating out of the Detroit, Michigan area, they came to the Keweenaw Peninsula on a holiday in the late 1960s. Their first publication was an assignment from the Houghton-Hancock Chamber of Commerce, "We Fell in Love with Keweenawland in Michigan's Upper Peninsula." It's title set the tone for all their promotions of the Upper Peninsula. Their most ambitious project was the publication of "North to Adventure in Michigan's Upper Peninsula," published and distributed at their expense. Their objective was to produce a tourist guide from the standpoint of the tourist, using themselves as guinea pigs as opposed to the subsidized publications featuring the county point of view. It quickly became a recommended teaching aid and reference text and served as the inspiration for their film strip "Exploring Michigan's Upper Peninsula," produced by the University of Michigan. As a result, three film strips were produced and marketed, including "Winter Carnival in Michigan's Upper Peninsula," featuring the snow statues at Michigan Technological University's Winter Carnival. The Putnam's retired to the Keweenaw, buying a summer house in Eagle Harbor.
From the description of Harold Putnam Collection. (Michigan Technological University). WorldCat record id: 711871260
