Natalie Sumner Lincoln was an early twentieth-century American novelist and editor, best known for her mystery and crime fiction. Born in Washington, D.C., in 1881, she was raised in a prominent family; her father, Dr. Nathan Smith Lincoln, served as a Civil War physician and White House doctor to President James A. Garfield, while her mother, Jeanie Gould, was a novelist and children's author. Lincoln received her education at Laura A. Flint's Private School in Washington, establishing deep roots in the capital city that would later serve as the primary setting for her literary career.\n\nLincoln's professional writing career began in journalism and editing. She served as the society editor for the Washington Herald from 1912 to 1914, and in April 1915, she became the editor of the Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine, a position she held until her death. Alongside her editorial duties, Lincoln was a prolific novelist, publishing 22 books. All but one of her novels were set in Washington, D.C., often featuring recurring law enforcement characters such as Inspector Mitchell or Detective Ferguson. Her work also appeared in popular periodicals of the era, including McCall's, All Story, and Detective Story Magazine.\n\nHer novels gained significant popularity, leading to silent film adaptations of The Man Inside in 1916 and The Official Chaperon (adapted as Black Shadows) in 1920. Beyond her literary pursuits, Lincoln made news in the philatelic community in 1930 when she discovered a rare Baltimore postmaster provisional stamp on one of her father's old letters, which she sold for a substantial sum. She continued writing and editing in Washington, D.C., until her death at her home in August 1935.
