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Virginia Lee Burton (1909-1968) wrote and illustrated many children's books, including The Little House, which was awarded the Caldecott medal in 1943.
She was born in Newton Centre, Massachusetts on August 30, 1909, and later studied art and ballet in California. Her drawings have appeared in the Boston Transcript, where she was a member of the staff for two years. She married George Demetrios, who had been her sculpture teacher, and they had two children. For many years they lived in Folly County, Gloucester, Massachusetts. She died in 1968.
The Virginia Lee Burton Papers are an important addition to the University of Oregon's Children's Collection because it demonstrates the stages of work involved in illustrating, from initial sketch to finished book. The numerous preparatory sketches, the reworking of illustrations that had not proven satisfactory, and the demands for quality reproduction of the artwork indicate the attention to detail required.
The Virginia Lee Burton Papers contain sketchbooks, preliminary sketches, and final illustrations for both first and second editions of Calico, the Wonder Horse, or the Saga of Stewy Slinker (written by Burton) and The Fast Sooner Hound (written by Arna Bontemps and Jack Conroy).
Also included are final illustrations for the books CHOO CHOO, The Story of the Little Engine Who Ran Away, Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel, and The Emperor's New Clothes (written by Hans Christian Anderson). Proofs for the book Life Story are also included.