Virginia Lee Burton

One of my favorite books as a child was "Calico the Wonder Horse" (1941), written and illustrated by Virginia Lee Burton, winner of the 1942 Caldecott Medal for "The Little House," and author of "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel" (1939), another favorite. All of her books were published here in Boston, by Houghton Mifflin.

The only thing I'd ever heard about Burton, who died in 1968, is that she was born in Newton Centre (not Center, no matter what the MBTA says) and lived in Folly Cove, the most northerly part of Lanesville, in Gloucester.

Now, however, because of the documentary film "Virginia Lee Burton: A Sense of Place," directed by Rawn Fulton of Searchlight Films (Bernardston, Mass.), which had its initial broadcast on WGBH this past December 30, I'm much better informed.

Burton was born in 1909 to Alfred Burton, an engineer and dean at MIT, and his wife, a free-spirited British artist who moved the children to California and then abandoned them. Burton was sent to a foster home, won a scholarship to the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco (and also studied ballet), and by 1928 had made it back to Boston. She became a "sketcher" for the Boston Transcript, and took a drawing class at the Boston Museum School where -- in 1930 -- she fell in love with one of her teachers, the sculptor George Demetrios. They were married, and moved to Folly Cove, where they raised two sons, Aristides and Michael.

During the Depression, the family stuggled to make ends meet, so Burton decided to write and illustrate children's books. "Choo Choo: The Story of a Little Engine Who Ran Away" (1937) was a success, and Burton's new career was launched.

As if she weren't busy enough, in 1938 Burton started up a textile collective called the Folly Cove Designers. She and other women carved whimsical, folksy, free-spirited designs into woodblocks and linoleum and printed them onto everything from wallpaper to summer dresses. Many of these designs are now on permanent display at the Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester; some of them are also in the MFA's textile collection.

VLB's son, Aristides, has launched something called Folly Cove Designers II. The website features some of Burton's designs for sale.

UPDATE: Beth B. of Needham writes:

My mother (Sarah Elizabeth "Libby" Holloran) was a Folly Cove Designer. I have fond memories of time spent at their "barn" in Folly Cove as a child. My mother continued her block printing and had a shop in Rockport until she entered a nursing home four years ago. An article about her and the woman who eventually took over the shop appeared in The Globe Magazine on 11/16/2003. Another print article about the Designers which I prize appeared in Life magazine in the 11/26/1945 issue. Do visit the Cape Ann Historical Society. Their collection of Folly Cove designs is wonderful as is the entire museum!

UPDATE: Ingrid McD. of Dedham writes:

As a child I often visited the Folly Cove workshop with my mother who would buy placemats, clothing and material. Some of Burton's devotees/designers have set up a shop in Rockport at #5 Whistle Stop Mall which is at the end of the train line. They are still creating items using the same or similar techniques as the original members of the Folly Cove designers. If you plan to go to the Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester to view some of the original designs, you should visit Sarah Elizabeth Shop where they are still creating wonderful designs.