Orison Daeda

Orison Daeda was active in the early 1940s, with recorded output spanning the years 1939 to 1942. Daeda’s surviving works focus primarily on detailed technical and descriptive renderings of historical artifacts and domestic material culture, suggesting an involvement in design documentation projects common during that era.

Six works attributed to Orison Daeda are represented in institutional collections. These works, encompassed by the designation 6 index of american designs, document diverse elements of American functional history. Specific examples of these renderings include studies of tools and furniture, such as Bent Raider or Pike, Butter Firkin, Hawsing Beetle, and Rocking chair, alongside decorative items like Toy Elephant.

The quality and nature of these detailed studies establish them as significant records of historical design. Today, these works are preserved within prominent collections, including the National Gallery of Art. As these historical documents frequently fall into the public domain, Daeda’s technical drawings are sometimes made available as high-quality prints or downloadable artwork for researchers and collectors interested in early American design.