Frances Baldwin was born in
San Francisco, California in 1907. Her father was
attorney Alexander Richards Baldwin, he was also the former president of the
Western Pacific Railroad. Her grandfather was
John R. Glascock. Baldwin was raised in
Woodside, California on the family estate. She moved to New York City and went to the
Spence School as a child. Baldwin studied at the
Art Students League of New York, and while there, she studied under
Yasuo Kuniyoshi. She proceeded to study at
Mills College with
Fernand Léger. She then returned to San Francisco to study at the
California School of Fine Arts. There, she studied with
Mark Rothko and
Maurice Sterne. She served in the
WAVES during World War II. She served as a
pharmacist's aide in
Oakland, California. ==Mid-life and career==