Retrolesbians Retrolesbians 1940s Left and 1972 Right Dorothy Putnam Was Born in Massachusetts in 1895 as a Young Woman Putnam Moved to Los Angeles Where She Developed an Interest in Automobiles in 1918 She Became the First Licensed Female Chauffeur in California Her Clients Including Carole Lombard Clark Gable and Charlie Chaplin She Also Won a Number of Driving Contests in LA During the 1920s in the 1930s Dorothy Met Her Lifelong Partner Lois Mercer They Both Served in the Air Force During WW2 and Moved Into a Los Angeles Apartment Together After the War Louis Became a Bookkeeper and Dorothy Started Working for the LA Sheriff’s Department They Stayed Together for the Rest of Their Lives Louis Died in 1989 at the Age of 94 Dorothy Less Than Two Years Later at the Age of 95 They Were Together for Over 50 Years Bonus a Picture of the Couple Celebrating Dorothys Birthday in the 70s