Lillian Beech

This is the "Who's Who in Leathercraft" instalment for Lillian Beech, written by Muriel McKnight and printed in Summer 1985, page 6.

The column opens as a citation rather than a life: “On behalf of the C.S.C.L. and the Hamilton Leathercraft Guild I would like to honour Lillian Beech for her contribution to the Guilds. She was among the first of the chartered members, when Hamilton Guild was formed in 1956, and has been a member in good standing since that date.”

• Among the first chartered members of the Hamilton Guild at its founding in October 1956, and on its first executive
• Studied leathercraft at Danforth Collegiate, Toronto, in 1953 under Kay Tokaryk
• An accomplished glove maker; learned the technique from Mrs. Campbell
• One of the six makers whose pieces won Hamilton the Weston Trophy for the first time, 1960
• Recording Secretary of the Society, 1961 — listed as Mrs. George Beech, of 884 Brant St., Burlington
• Secretary of the Hamilton Branch, 1963 and 1964
• Associate standing, 1966
• Taught at the Burlington Arena from 1954, and gave classes and private glovemaking lessons in her own home

The Guild's own retrospective, printed in Summer 1966, says the same thing from the other end and adds the detail: the first meeting was in the Recreation Hall at Wesley United Church in November 1956, thirty-nine craftsmen came, the treasurer took in $3.79, and Lillian Beech was one of eight welcomed to the executive, alongside Harold Wilson, Violet and Clarence Redman, Bea Austin, Harold Booth, Jim Courneya and Marjorie Wright.

Where she learned

“Her studies in leathercraft were made at Danforth Collegiate, Toronto, in 1953 with instructor Kay Tokaryk. Among the many techniques she learned from Kay was achieving grey dye by using ferrous sulphate. Lillian became an accomplished glove maker, learning this technique from Mrs. Campbell.”

Kay Tokaryk and Mrs. Campbell appear nowhere else in the Society’s newsletters. The type on the page is clean elite and neither name is in doubt.

Office

“Lillian acquired her Associate status in 1966, and was an active member of the C.S.C.L. Executive Council for several years, as well as President of the Hamilton Guild, as well as Secretary, Membership Convenor, and other posts throughout the years. Lillian was President when C.S.C.L. celebrated their 10th Anniversary at the Scottish Rite in Hamilton.”

The Associate year is confirmed independently: the Hamilton retrospective of Summer 1966 says “Ruth Waechter and Lillian Beech are our latest Associate members”. Two of the Council years can be dated from the officer lists — Recording Secretary of the Society in 1961, and Secretary of the Hamilton Branch in 1963 and 1964, the 1963 branch report over her own signature, “Respectfully submitted – Lillian Beech, Secretary.”

The Weston Trophy of 1960

Her name is in the Guild's proudest sentence. “One of the biggest thrills our Guild ever experienced was the winning of the Weston Trophy for the first time in 1960. Award pieces were submitted by Messrs. Torry, Wilson, Courneya, Redman and Mrs. Beech and Irva Ford.” Six makers, of whom she is one.

Teaching

“She taught at Burlington Arena for several years, beginning in 1954, and as well gave classes in her home. Lillian also gave private lessons in glove making, and was generous in sharing her techniques and talents, giving many demonstrations at our Hamilton Guild meetings and workshops, as well as doing demonstrations at C.S.C.L. Annuals. Lillian has also managed to be a faithful participant at our Annual C.N.E. booth demonstration and sale of leatherwork.”

The Burlington Arena is the link that ties the two forms of her name together: the Society's officer list of Summer 1961 gives its Recording Secretary as “Mrs. George Beech, 884 Brant St., Burlington, Ont.” The Guild's history of 1966 lists her among those “who have taught for many years”, with Alvin Haig, Jim Courneya, Bea Austin, Mrs. Wheatley and Irva Ford.

The column closes: “We salute Lillian and express our appreciation for all that you have done for us, and express our hope that you will continue to share your special knowledge with us in the future.”

Mrs. George Beech

The Society printed married women under their husbands' names well into the 1960s: the officer lists of 1961 and 1964 print her as “Mrs. George Beech”, the courtesy form.

Lillian Beech is said to have been President of the Hamilton Guild when the Society kept its tenth anniversary at the Scottish Rite in Hamilton. The Society's own tenth anniversary in 1960 was kept at WoodGreen Centre, Toronto. The Scottish Rite meeting in Hamilton was the 1966 Annual, held in the Guild's tenth-anniversary year, which is probably the occasion meant.

From the "Who's Who in Leathercraft" column in Canadian Leathercraft, Summer 1985, by Muriel McKnight, with corroborating detail from the Hamilton Guild's own history, Summer 1966, and the officer lists of Summer 1961, Spring 1963 and Spring 1964.