Lee Kingman Natti

1919 - 2020

Lee Kingman Natti was born in Reading, Massachusetts, and developed a passion for reading and writing as a child. Natti graduated from Smith College in 1940 and at the age of 24 began working at Houghton Mifflin Company as assistant to the editor of children’s books. She soon rose to the position of editor. In 1942, Natti’s children’s book Pierre Pidgeon was published by Houghton Mifflin, the first of 29 works she would see in print.  It was while with Houghton Mifflin that Natti met Virginia Lee Burton.

Members of the Folly Cove Designers Group (left to right) Peggy Norton, Lee Kingman Natti, Mary Wallenius and Barbara Bisbee. Photo credit: Barbara Erkkila for her article in the Gloucester Daily Times, July 26, 1957. Collection of the Cape Ann Museum Archives.

Lee Kingman Natti first came to Cape Ann when Houghton Mifflin sent her to take art classes from George Demetrios, Virginia Lee Burton’s husband who was a sculptor and taught life drawing. The model who was working for Demetrios at that time was Robert Natti, on leave from the U.S. Army. Lee and Robert married in 1945 and settled in the Lanesville neighborhood of Gloucester, building their home alongside Blood Ledge quarry. Together they had two children, Susanna in 1948 and Peter in 1950.

In the late 1940s, Natti took Virginia Lee Burton’s design course and soon became a member of the Folly Cove Designers. Over a period of 20 years, Lee was one of the group’s most productive members—creating designs, cutting blocks and printing fabric that was made into placemats, napkins, aprons and skirts.

Lee Kingman Natti continued to nurture her passion for books throughout her life, and was closely associated with the Horn Book, a group founded in 1924 to promote excellence in children’s literature.

Download transcriptions of interviews with Lee Kingman Natti

Interview with Lee Kingman Natti, October 17, 1991, Lanesville (Gloucester) MA. Conducted by Professor Theodora "Penny" Martin. From the Folly Cove Designers Archival Collection at the Cape Ann Museum. Gift of Jennifer Scanlon; Christine Lundberg & Rawn Fulton (Searchlight Films), 7/15/2015 [Acc. # 2015.024].

Interview #2 with Lee Kingman Natti, June 2, 1992, Lanesville, MA. Conducted by Professor Theodora "Penny" Martin. From the Folly Cove Designers Archival Collection at the Cape Ann Museum. Gift of Jennifer Scanlon; Christine Lundberg & Rawn Fulton (Searchlight Films), 7/15/2015 [Acc. # 2015.024].

Interview with Lee Natti, Folly Cove Designer, October 27, 1995, Lanesville, Gloucester, MA. Conducted by Professor Theodora "Penny" Martin. From the Folly Cove Designers Archival Collection at the Cape Ann Museum. Gift of Jennifer Scanlon; Christine Lundberg & Rawn Fulton (Searchlight Films), 7/15/2015 [Acc. # 2015.024].

Interview with Lee Natti & Faith Harvey, Folly Cove Designers, June 24, 1996. Conducted by Professor Theodora "Penny" Martin. From the Folly Cove Designers Archival Collection at the Cape Ann Museum. Gift of Jennifer Scanlon; Christine Lundberg & Rawn Fulton (Searchlight Films), 7/15/2015 [Acc. # 2015.024].