Welcome Friends of Jack London!

This website has been launched to share the discovery of a long lost work of art and to help rekindle the interest in the study of Jack London's writing.

Understanding the work of Jack London can ignite the spark in the hearts of all individuals and inspire them to be the best they can be, even in the worst of times.

Jack London’s writing tablet is representative of a different era in California’s history. It was created by Arthur Putnam, the famous animalist sculptor who was once praised by Auguste Rodin as "the greatest animal sculptor alive". This writing tablet was the personal property of Jack London, one of America’s greatest, and most loved authors. The connection between these two great artists exists on many levels - most notably their advocacy of wild beasts and socialist political philosophies.

This unique sculpture was inspired by the novel The Call of the Wild, and depicts the famous dog Buck. The novel brought London fame and, for the first time, brought the attention of the world to the inhumane treatment of man’s best friend during the Klondike Gold Rush.

This tablet was presented by a famous woman named Charmian London at the Children’s Pets Exhibition of 1917. The recipient of this award was James Rolph III, son of the then mayor of San Francisco, James "Sunny Jim" Rolph II.

From 1917 until 2003, Jack London’s writing tablet had slipped into obscurity and eventually became unknown to even exist.

Now, amazingly, almost 100 years after it was created, it has been fully authenticated.

A lost American treasure has been found and is now recognized as an important piece of California’s history that has been rescued from the jaws of time.

It is my hope that this most interesting discovery will spark the interest of a new generation and promote the reading of Jack London’s works. The real treasures are the lessons woven into the fabric of his writing.

It is the understanding of ourselves that allows us to find our place in the world, that gives us the strength to look beyond ourselves, and the determination to be stronger individuals. As stronger people we will represent the good side of humanity well.

If you enjoy this website, you are going to love reading Jack London’s stories.

Christian Chaffee

The Dark Cat

In this article, Yale professor, Alexander Nemerov explores the dark creative powers in the work of Arthur Putnam and a few of his contemporaries, most notably Jack London. He explores the complex pessimism and its origins in philosophy and politics of the early 20th century San Francisco intelligentsia.

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