7. The Putnam fire and the move to California
Between flying achievements, Earhart was frequently engaged in public appearances. When not traveling, she and her husband maintained their primary residence at his estate in Rye, New York. By the fall of 1934, Putnam sold his share of the publishing interests which bore his family name, and concentrated on promoting his wife’s works and appearances. In November she was away on a speaking tour when their home in Rye was swept by a fire. Nearly all of her mementoes, trophies, press clippings, scrapbooks, and other memorabilia were destroyed. Putnam family mementos, including a nearly priceless collection of first edition books, were also consumed by the flames.
The aftermath of the fire led to Amelia and George relocating to California, where he joined the editorial staff at Paramount Pictures. Amelia began working with a Hollywood pilot, Paul Mantz, to both improve her own flying and provide flight training for students. Putnam served as the school’s publicity agent. The Earhart-Mantz Flying School operated out of Burbank Airport, about five miles from the site where Earhart and Putnam remodeled a home as their residence. Later the same year, 1935, Earhart joined the faculty of Purdue University as a visiting advisor to its new Department of Aeronautics.
