Irina Tolford

1905 - 1965

Irina (Poroshina) Tolford was a Russian immigrant who became the wife of Joshua Tolford. She was an artist and a member of the Rockport Art Association and joined the Folly Cove Designers in 1942. She and her husband operated the Tolford Gallery and the Home Industries shop in Rockport which began carrying Folly Cove Designer products in 1943. The shop also carried works by other Cape Ann craftsmen including pewter by Lewis Whitney, ceramics by June York and Hester F. Saville, and weavings by Mabel Olson and Mollie Brown.