The Folly Cove Designers were founded by beloved author/illustrator Virginia Lee Burton Demetrios. The group is said to have stemmed from classes in design that Demetrios gave to her neighbor and friend in the late 1930s in exchange for violin lessons for her two sons. Other neighbors soon joined and the group settled into a pattern of lessons and homework during the winters and exhibiting during the summer.  In 1941 the group officially formed under the name The Folly Cove Designers; named for the area of Gloucester, Massachusetts in which Demetrios lived. The group operated as medieval guilds did and jury approval of one design was required for membership. Over time at least forty people became members and collectively the group produced over 300 designs, many of them depicting the flora and fauna of Cape Ann. Elena M. Sarni, author of the first comprehensive book on the Folly Cove Designers, titled Trailblazing Women Printmakers: Virginia Lee Burton Demetrios and the Folly Cove Designers, describes the work as representing “personal and regional narratives…communicated in the compelling language of pattern.”

The group chose block printing as their medium due to its inexpensiveness and primarily printed on fabric and created textiles for use as table linens. Designers were encouraged by Demetrios to draw from life and in interviews later in life, many members recalled amusing stories of Designers going to great lengths to get animals to hold poses. Members would select one subject per year as their focus. After many hours of sketching, members would submit their work to the jury. The jury generally consisted of five to seven of the most experienced members. Only upon jury approval could a design be transferred to a block and carved. Initially the group stomped on their blocks to print their designs, but by the late 1940s they upgraded to manual proof presses

The group achieved international acclaim after being featured in Life in 1945. They went on to work with major retailers such as Lord & Taylor and F. Schumacher (now Schumacher), as well as participate in seminal craft exhibitions. In 1948 the Designers began to pull back from commercial contracts, likely in part because of the opportunity to rent a barn from the Demetrios family, which became the group’s very successful retail outlet.

The Iarrobinos joined the group in the late 1940s and were active members through the late 1950s/early 1960s. Betty joined first, but Tony soon followed, explaining “I had to join—-you can’t be exposed and not be attracted to it” (i). Although Tony and Betty were often inspired by similar subject matter due to their overlapping interests as a couple, their styles were very different. Betty’s work focused on patterns, particularly those found in nature. As a portrait and figurative artist, Tony’s work often depicted people. Some of Tony’s work was so detailed that it required the use of a magnifying glass to carve it (ii). Betty and Tony acquired their own acorn press. It is now on display at the Cape Ann Museum and work by both Elizabeth and Anthony is in the museum’s collection. In a eulogy for his mother, Anthony Iarrobino, Jr. recalled “the smell of turnpentine, of ink” that permeated his youth (iii).

(i) Anthony and Elizabeth Iarrobino, interview by Theodora Martin, October 21, 1991, The Folly Cove Designers Collection, Cape Ann Museum, Gloucester, MA.

(II) Anthony and Elizabeth Iarrobino, interview by Theodora Martin.

(iii) Anthony A. Iarrobino eulogy, written and presented by Anthony Iarrobino, Jr., March 2006, collection of the Iarrobino family.

Above text adapted from Trailblazing Women Printmakers: Virginia Lee Burton Demetrios and The Folly Cove Designers with permission from author Elena M. Sarni.