Hilda Olson

Hilda Olson was an American artist and documentarian active for a concentrated period between 1935 and 1940. Her known work is strongly affiliated with federal arts initiatives, where she contributed renderings to the extensive Index of American Design, a project dedicated to documenting decorative, folk, and utilitarian arts throughout the United States.

Olson’s visual documentation focused on a wide range of historical artifacts and architectural details, emphasizing detailed rendering necessary for archival preservation. Ten documented works representing her contribution to the Index are held in museum collections. Specific pieces demonstrate the breadth of the project, including records of early industrial objects such as Mill Stones, folk architecture elements like the Horse Head Hitching Post, and cultural artifacts, including the theatrical puppets Marionette - "Biddy" and Puppet - "Simon Legree". She also meticulously recorded historical architectural features, exemplified by the detailed study Ceiling of Baptistry Niche, Mission Dolores.

The collected body of her professional documentation is preserved by the National Gallery of Art. Today, these historical studies offer valuable insight into mid-century artistic documentation methods. Many of the original designs and subsequent Hilda Olson prints are now within the public domain, offering access to high-quality prints for researchers and historians, ensuring that her museum-quality contributions remain accessible.