A visual history of the Folly Cove Designers (1941-1969)—one of America’s longest-running block
printing collectives. The Folly Cove Designers (officially 1941-1969) was a grassroots
collective of predominantly women block printers founded by Caldecott Award-winner and beloved
children’s book author illustrator Virginia Lee Burton Demetrios (of Mike Mulligan and His
Steam Shovel fame). This trailblazing Gloucester MA–based group produced more than three
hundred distinct designs which they block printed on fabric. The designs conveyed personal and
regional narratives through the use of shared design principles and the compelling language of
pattern. The group was propelled to international fame through commercial contracts with major
retailers (F. Schumacher Lord & Taylor etc.) articles in leading periodicals such as Life
and participation in seminal fine craft exhibitions. Their work continues to inspire
contemporary printmakers around the globe particularly women printmakers. As the first
comprehensive history of the Folly Cove Designers Trailblazing Women Printmakers documents and
celebrates the group’s tremendous success and the incredible artistry of its members. With more
than 250 black-and-white and color photographs author Elena M. Sarni explores the Folly Cove
Designers' history work and group dynamics.
