The Society’s Records

Irva Ford

← People of the Society · on record 1956–1977

Everything the Society’s own records say of Irva Ford — the offices held, the standings conferred, and the awards won — gathered on one page. Where the records are silent, so is this one.

This is the Society’s own record of Irva Ford. A biography: Our Past President, Summer 1972 →

In memoriam · 11 October 1977

President of the Society from 1969 to 1972 and Charter President of the Hamilton Leathercraft Guild, which was formed on 11 October 1956 — twenty-one years to the day before she died. Born in the Hanover–Owen Sound area, she taught school in Toronto, married and moved to Hamilton, and was the mother of three professional musicians. She earned her Fellow standing in 1958 and was, in the Executive Council’s words, "the guiding force behind our first Prestige Exhibition"; she took awards at the Society’s own exhibitions, the C.N.E. Canadian Guild of Crafts, the Hamilton Artisans Guild and the International Assemblies in Canada and the United States. The Winter 1977 newsletter printed the Council’s testimonial: "Unsparing of herself and so wonderfully sure that you could do just about anything, yourself… We all feel we lost a friend when Irva left us so suddenly." The Society’s 1975 retrospective dates the first Prestige Show to 1969, at Toronto City Hall, where the testimonial says 1970; the archive states both rather than choosing. The Society’s memorial volume gives her full name as Emily Irva Ford; the "Irma" that recurs elsewhere in the record is a misreading, not the Society’s own usage. "The Heritage Hands of Irva Ford" (February 1985), a tribute written by her children, gives her full birth record and early life: born Emily Irva Pearson in Hanover, Ontario, 26 April 1905, to Mary and William Pearson, with a sister, Jessie; trained and worked as a public school teacher (Ontario Normal School certificate, taught 1925-28 at a one-room school near Hanover and then at William Burgess Public School, Toronto) before turning to craft work, having already won prizes for woodcarving in the early 1930s. She married Arthur Llewellyn Ford, a Hanover schoolmate and pharmacist, in 1936; their three children, all professional musicians, were Peter (b. 1937), David and Susan (b. 1942, later Susan Ford Ricketts). Her leathercraft training began with glove-making under Muriel Burnaby in 1935, continued with leather carving under a Mr. McDougall at the Humber Valley Leather Studio, classes at Central Technical School and a McMaster University summer school under Don McKinnon, and advanced work with Robert Muma at the Mumart Studios of Creative Leathercraft. The same document names her charter membership and first Presidency of the Hamilton Leathercraft Guild (1956-1958, now recorded on her officer record) and further Guild service through the 1960s and 1970s.

From Winter 1977–78, page 2.

Also recorded as Erva Ford, Irma Ford, Mrs. A.L. Ford, Mrs. Irva Ford, Mrs. L.L. Ford

Branch

Hamilton · first recorded holding office in 1956

Certification

Associate of the CSCL 1957
The election notice prints the town as “Hamilton, Ont.”. Associate in 1957 and Fellow the following April — the two elections are printed a year apart in the same newsletter series.
Fellow of the CSCL 1958
The election notice prints the town as “Hamilton, Ont.”.

A renowned Hamilton teacher who taught leathercraft in adult-education classes and wrote on cross-dyeing for the Society's newsletter. Four pieces chosen for “Ontario Crafts – Leather Today”, the Society’s Centennial travelling exhibition: a grooved tray, a small oblong tray, a belt and a bracelet. The Canadian Guild of Crafts (Ontario) selected the articles; the exhibition opened at the Guild Shop on 2 October 1967 and was to travel across Canada during 1968. Showed four pieces at Leather '74, the Society's exhibition at the Toronto Public Libraries' Learning Resources Centre, 666 Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto, 3-28 June 1974, and five pieces in the Society's exhibition at the Craft Gallery and Resource Centre of the Ontario Crafts Council, 346 Dundas Street West, Toronto, 2-28 March 1976. The Irva Ford Award, for the best moulded piece, is named for her. She was the Hamilton Branch's founding Chairman, elected at the organizing meeting of 11 October 1956, and the branch's Past President by the winter of 1959.

From Fall 1970, page 8; Summer 2005, page 4; Leather ’74 — exhibition catalogue, Toronto Public Libraries, page 5; Exhibition catalogue 1976 — Craft Gallery of the Ontario Crafts Council, Toronto, page 5; Fall 1967, page 9; Autumn 1956, page 11; and Winter 1959–60, page 7.

Served the Society as

President 1969–72; 1969–1971
Past President 1972–1974
1st Vice-President 1968
Hamilton Branch Chairman 1956
Chairman 1957
1st Eastern Regional Meeting Panel of Experts 1958
Executive Council 1958–1975
Hamilton Branch Past President 1959
Members at Large 1959
Chairman Exhibitions Committee 1960–1974
Charter Member, Hamilton Handicraft Guild (later Artisans Guild of Hamilton) 1961
Council 1961–1977
Exhibition Convener 1961–1962
C.N.E. Demonstrator 1962
Exhibitions Chairman, Hamilton Leathercraft Guild 1962
P.N.E. Exhibit Committee Convener 1962
Hamilton Branch Exhibitions Convener 1963
10th Assembly Committee - Salon 1964
Vice-President 1964–1967
11th Assembly Demonstrator 1965
Vice Chairman in charge of Branches 1968
Leathercraft Representative, Hamilton Handicraft Guild 1962–67; 1970
Exhibitions Convener 1975
World Crafts Council Delegate 1976
27th Annual Demonstrator 1977
Hamilton Branch President 1977
President, Hamilton Leathercraft Guild 1956–58
Program Chairman, Hamilton Leathercraft Guild 1971–73

Awards

Best Functional Design 1971
Canadian Handicraft Guild Competition 1966
Canadian Handicrafts Guild Competition First Prize 1958–1973
Canadian Handicrafts Guild Competition Honourable Mention 1957–1973
Canadian Handicrafts Guild On Display 1972
Craftsman Award, 11th International Assembly 1965
Craftsman Ribbon 1967–1977
Design Canada Craft Award Honourable Mention 1974
International Assembly Craftsmanship Ribbon 1963–1964
International Assembly Salon Ribbon 1962–1964
Leather '74 Memorial Award 1974
Leather '76 Craftsman Award 1976
Leather '76 Salon Award 1976
Ontario Craft Foundation EEDEE Award 1973
Ontario Souvenir and Handcraft Competition Recommended 1963
Salon Award 1967–1970
The Great Mississippi Valley Fair, First Place 1972
The Great Mississippi Valley Fair, Honorable Mention 1972
The Great Mississippi Valley Fair, Second Place 1972
Undecorated Leather 1969
Western Fair 2nd Prize 1973
Western Fair 3rd Prize 1973

Demonstrations given

Dying Leather Gray and Inverted Carving 1964
14th Annual
From Spring 1964, page 2.
Box Covering 1965
15th Annual
From Spring 1965.

Where this comes from

This name in the index of people →