Design and Art Australia Online

Embroiderer, designer, teacher, woodcarver, pyrographer, painter who arrived in 1904, was the daughter of William Hoare Benham, solicitor of Kapunda in South Australia and his second wife Annie n_e Huggins. She was educated in South Australia. Her aunt Ann Maria Benham was a leader in the design movement in South Australia and no doubt Loui was well taught. Both women were relatives of Western Australian goldsmith Vincent Edward Nesbit maker of the Mace for the Western Australian Parliament who had died in 1893.

The Design School in South Australia had an excellent school of needlework, which commenced in the 1890s, undertook commissions and sold hundreds of designs. Western Australia was obviously trying to build the same structure when Loui Benham was appointed Instructor in Art Needlework at the Perth Technical Art School in 1904. Her popular classes were extended to Fremantle, Claremont and Midland Junction as well. She had many students and her influence was extensive but only a few sat for the exams leaving us with a record of only a small percentage of names. Benham strove to emulate the South Australian Design School’s success in needlework design and manufacture and several of her students exhibited Art Needlework with the Society of Arts. Some were designed by themselves; others were worked to designs by Miss Benham. In 1911 six of the names mentioned in a review were examination students from the Technical School classes.

The piano cover (appliqu_) by Miss A. Atwell is striking and uncommon, and the piano drapes, with the quaint dragon designs by Miss L. Benham, executed by Mesdames G. Pearse, P. Robinson and Mrs Strickland are equally good. A lace veil by Miss Vanzetti, cushion covers, fire screen embroidery by Mrs Strickland, opera bag and tray – all from designs by Miss L. Benham – are features of the section, to which Miss Enid Allum, Mrs Oxbrow and Miss Rossi also contribute most successfully.

Benham lived in 9 Adelaide Street in Fremantle where she had her studio in 1903. She later had her studio at 9 Commercial Street, Fremantle and by 1914 had a studio at 111 St George’s Terrace, Perth, Western Australia. In 1924 Benham was listed at 9 Malcolm Street, Perth. She joined the West Australian Society of Arts and exhibited many art forms. Benham was described as “must be as industrious as she is artistic”. She exhibited woodcarving, gesso work, pokerwork, leatherwork and lace. One pokerwork design is now in the collection of the Bessie Rischbieth family.

Benham had studied woodcarving at Perth Technical School under William Howitt in 1906 and achieved a first class pass in first year and a second in year two. She took both concurrently and exhibited in the West Australian Society of Arts exhibition where she won the woodcarving prize. In 1908 Benham exhibited something larger – a carved settee as well as Carrickmacross lace and embroidery.

In 1911 she exhibited an opera bag, art needlework designs executed by others and lace (Carrickmacross made by Miss Vanzetti), leatherwork, gesso work and poker work. It is probable she sold her designs to others to work, as was the custom of the South Australian Design School. In 1912 Mrs Lilly exhibited an embroidered table cover worked to Loui’s design. This took the form of butterflies, the wings worked in heliotrope and blue giving a shot effect. The design won third prize in the Design competition. Another design incorporated black-billed, red-winged birds. The reviewer questioned the designs asking why they had to be on such stiff geometric lines. This would indicate a modern design of the style of the Glasgow School or that now termed 'Art Deco’. Unfortunately no work from Benham has been located to make a comparison.

Her students from 1906-12 included E. Ashton, Alice Atkins, A. Atwell, M. Braunsdorf, R. Burgess, wildflower painter Janie Craig, Alice Glyde, F. Glyde, Maeva Hassell, B. Hope, B. Law, Mrs A. Mottram, E. Nagel, D. Parker, Olive Parrant, and O. Thompson. Later students included Enid Allum and F. V. Hall. During World War I and up to around 1922 dependents of servicemen were encouraged to enroll in needlework, millinery and dressmaking to become self-supporting. It is believed their fees were subsidised.

In the 1930s when the classes were discontinued at the four technical schools Loui opened a private needlework school in her home at the bottom of Mount Street. Norma Rolland was a student at this school. Benham exhibited watercolours of Blue Wrens, Kookaburras, Gum Blossom and From the Bridge at Guildford in the 1920 exhibition of the West Australian Society of Arts. In addition a table runner, table cover and embroidered cushion covers were also exhibited. In 1922 Benham exhibited a needlework box and carved worktable. This was an energetic and influential woman who is now almost completely unknown. Although Benham exhibited paintings with the Society of Arts in 1935 the work was described by George Benson as tentative and she does not appear to have exhibited again.

Writers:

Dr Dorothy Erickson

Date written:

2010

Last updated:

2011