Father Junipero Serra

Mission Dolores
16th and Dolores
The Mission District

This sculpture, found inside the cemetery is by Arthur Putnam.  The cast stone sculpture is one of a series of allegorical figures originally commissioned to depict the history of California for the estate of E. W. Scripps. This cast was funded by D. J. McQuarry at the cost of $500. It was placed at Mission Dolores in 1918 when the Mission was remodeled.

Arthur Putnam (September 6, 1873–1930) was an American sculptor who was recognized for his bronze sculptures of wild animals. His bats grace the First National Bank and his other animals can be found on the street lights of Market Street. He was a well-known figure, both statewide and nationally, during the time he lived in California. Putnam was regarded as an artistic genius in San Francisco and his life was chronicled in the San Francisco and East Bay newspapers. He won a Gold Medal at the 1915 San Francisco world’s fair, officially known as the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, and was responsible for large sculptural works that still stand in San Francisco and San Diego. Putnam exhibited at the Armory Show in 1913, and his works were also exhibited in New York, Chicago, Paris, and Rome.