Malcolm P. Hutchinson artist renderings and photographs of parade floats, circa 1931-1955
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Designer
- Hutchinson, Malcolm P. (Malcolm Pratt), 1899-1978
- Title
- Malcolm P. Hutchinson artist renderings and photographs of parade floats
- Dates
- circa
1931-1955 (inclusive)19311955
- Quantity
- 1.9 cubic feet, (1 flat box (16x20); 1 flat box (20x24); 3 folders in shared box; 3 oversize folders (20x30); 1 oversize folder (22x28))
- Collection Number
- Coll 1026
- Summary
- Artist's renderings and photographs depicting parade floats designed from the 1930s to the 1950s by floral designer Malcolm P. Hutchinson (1899-1978) of Portland, Oregon. Most of the floats represented were designed for the Portland Rose Festival. Hutchinson worked for florist Tommy Luke until 1951, when he left to focus on the Hutchinson School of Floral Design, which he had founded in the 1940s.
- Repository
-
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
Biographical Note
Malcolm Pratt Hutchinson was born in Milton, Massachusetts, and grew up in Spokane, Washington. He served in World War I. In 1925, he moved to Portland, Oregon, where he worked for florist Tommy Luke. In this position, he began to design parade floats for the Portland Rose Festival in 1928. He won numerous prizes for his float designs in Portland, as well as for floats used in events held in Seattle, Washington, and Pasadena, California. In the 1940s, he founded the Hutchinson School of Floral Design, and in 1951, he left Tommy Luke's business to focus full time on the school. He retired in 1970, and died in 1978.
Sources: "Quits Post for School," Oregon Journal, August 26, 1951; "Jeep Transformed from Ugly Duckling into Beautiful Swan," Oregonian, June 13, 1954; obituary in the Oregonian, September 14, 1978; vital records from Ancestry.com.
Content Description
The collection consists of color artist's renderings and of black and white and hand-colored photographs depicting parade floats that were designed by Malcolm P. Hutchinson, a floral designer from Portland, Oregon, from the 1930s through the 1950s. Most of the floats were designed for the Portland Rose Festival parade, but one float was designed for a 1949 parade in Seattle, Washington, and some other floats represented in the collection may also have been designed for other events. Some of the artist's renderings include design notes or other information, such as the organizations the floats were built for and prizes the floats won. The collection also includes several pencil sketches of floats, and some correspondence and documentation from 1951, primarily relating to a Meier & Frank promotional event for which Hutchinson did floral work. Unless otherwise signed, the renderings were drawn or likely drawn by Hutchinson.
Photographs in the collection, taken by various photographers, depict floats that Hutchinson designed for the Portland Rose Festival, including three hand-colored images of floats designed for the 1931, 1932, and 1933 festivals.
Use of the Collection
Preferred Citation
Malcolm P. Hutchinson artist renderings and photographs of parade floats, Coll 1026, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Restrictions on Use
The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Gift of Malcolm F. Hutchinson, March 2000 (Lib. Acc. 24155).
Processing Note
Hand-colored photographs were removed from frames when the collection was initially donated to the Oregon Historical Society Research Library. During processing in 2024, some artist's renderings were removed from their mountings, cellophane covers were removed, and acid-free tissue paper was placed between renderings for preservation purposes.
Related Materials
Other collections at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library relating to the Portland Rose Festival include the Portland Rose Festival Association records, Mss 1528; the Portland Rose Festival photographs collection, Org. Lot 431; and the Portland Rose Festival Association photographs collection, Org. Lot 850.
Separated Materials
Artifacts were separated to Museum Collections, Oregon Historical Society.
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Parade floats--Oregon--Portland--Photographs
- Parade floats--Oregon--Portland--Pictorial works
Corporate Names
- Portland Rose Festival (Portland, Or.)
Form or Genre Terms
- photographs
- renderings (drawings)
