DUNHAM, Eleanor Amy

1901 - 1987

Eleanor Amy Dunham was born at 58 Brooks Road, Plaistow, West Ham, Essex on 7 February 1901, eldest daughter of Arthur Edwin Dunham (7 September 1867-9 August 1943), a beer retailer, and his wife Alice née Trewella (25 February 1871-1951), who married at Camberwell in 1899, Alice who was a widow, as Alice Burton had previously married at Poplar, London in 1889 Frederick Ernest Trewella (1857-1899). In 1911, Eleanor was a 10-year-old student, living at 183 Richmond Road, Ilford, Essex with her parents, 43-year-old Arthur and 39-year-old Alice, with a sibling sister 3-year-old Marjorie Alice, with two step siblings Ada May Trewella 20 and Edward Henry Trewella 17. Eleanor studied at both the London College of Music, becoming an Associate in 1916, and at the London School of Art with her early artwork in pastel. She married at Theberton, Suffolk in 1921, Frank Paul Gissing (11 May 1887-14 August 1967), a farmer's son who later kept an antique shop, and they lived at 15 Fawcett Road, Aldeburgh, Suffolk and had several children, all born in Suffolk. In 1939, she was living at 15 Fawcett Road, Aldeburgh with her husband Frank, and two children, Michael Norman Gissing (1 December 1927-1995) and Malcolm I F Gissing (born 10 February 1933). Eleanor painted under her maiden name of E. A. Dunham and later in life returned to painting in watercolour focusing on wildlife, the detail in her pictures, some of which are exceptional, is surprising since she had extremely poor eyesight and suffered with arthritis in her hands, which can be seen in some of her lesser works. Eleanor exhibited at the Deben Gallery on 26 Market Hill, Woodbridge, Suffolk and elsewhere. She latterly lived at 49 Horseshoe Road, Pangbourne and after her move to Pangbourne, signed a few of her works in her married name of 'E A Gissing'. Eleanor Amy Gissing died at 49 Horseshoe Road, Pangbourne, Reading in 1987.

---

Works by This Artist