Olga Lehmann facts for kids

Olga Lehmann (born February 10, 1912 – died October 26, 2001) was a talented artist. She was born in Chile but became a British visual artist. She created many different types of art, including paintings, illustrations, and designs for movies and TV shows.

Early life and education

The Dark Avenger costume design by Olga Lehmann, 1954.

Olga Lehmann was born in Catemu, Chile. Her father was a mining engineer. She had two siblings, Monica and George. Her family had roots in Germany, France, and Scotland.

Olga went to Santiago College in Chile. In 1929, she moved to England. There, she won a special scholarship to study art at the Slade School of Fine Art in London. This was a very famous art school.

At Slade, she learned about fine art, theatrical design, and painting portraits. She won awards for her work. She also visited Spain, and Spanish and Moorish styles later appeared in her art.

Artistic career

Olga Lehmann worked as an artist for almost 60 years. In the 1930s, she became known for her mural painting (large paintings on walls) and portraiture (painting pictures of people). She showed her art in important exhibitions. She painted portraits of famous people like singers and actors.

During World War II, her art studio in London was destroyed by a bomb. Sadly, many of her early artworks were lost.

After the war, Olga became very famous for her graphic design work. She created illustrations for the Radio Times, a magazine about radio programs. She also designed for the film and television industries.

In 1939, she married Edward Richard Carl Huson. They had one son, Paul Huson, who became a writer. Olga Lehmann passed away in 2001.

Amazing artworks

Olga Lehmann created many different kinds of art. She was very versatile!

Illustrations and designs

Olga drew many illustrations for books and magazines.

• In 1937, she illustrated the book Weekend Caravan.
• During World War II, she was allowed to draw pictures of bomb damage in London. She also sketched air raid shelters and people helping during the war.
• From 1941, she drew monthly illustrations for the BBC's Radio Times magazine for almost 20 years.
• She also illustrated for another BBC magazine, The Listener.
• She drew pictures for children's books, like Fairy Tales from Turkey in 1946.
• In 1948, she illustrated An Indian Boyhood.
• She designed book covers, like for Dead Lion in 1949.
• She even created illustrations for advertisements, like for Murphy Radio Ltd. in 1950.
• From 1954 to 1957, she designed covers for Argo Records (UK) (music records).
• Later in her life, she illustrated books of poems by her late husband, Carl Huson. These included The Wishing Chair and Other Verse (1985) and Fine Feathers (1987), a children's poetry book.

Murals

Olga Lehmann was a talented mural painter. She painted large artworks on walls in many places.

• In 1934, she painted murals in the Palace Hotel in Buxton, England.
• She painted murals in the St. Helier House Hotel in Jersey in 1935.
• She even designed a mural for a railway bridge in London to celebrate a royal event.
• During World War II, she painted murals for London's Air Raid Precautions Headquarters.
• In 1943, she designed and painted murals for a workers' canteen. This canteen was in an underground factory during the war! These murals are now very important historical artworks.
• In 1953, she painted a mural of Captain Bligh for actor Errol Flynn's hotel in Jamaica.

Film, TV, and theater design

Olga Lehmann also worked behind the scenes in movies and TV.

• In 1941, she painted murals for films like Hi Gang! and Much Too Shy.
• She joined a union for film technicians and painted scenery for many big studios.
• She painted portraits for films, like of Marlene Dietrich for Alfred Hitchcock's movie Stage Fright in 1949.
• She designed opening credits for films, such as Laughter in Paradise (1950).
• She created storyboards (like a comic book version of a movie) and costume designs for films. She worked on The Dark Avenger (1954) and Michael Todd's Around the World in 80 Days (1955).
• She designed costumes for many famous actors and films. These included Vera-Ellen's ballet in Let's be Happy (1956) and costumes for Tippi Hedren in Charlie Chaplin's film A Countess from Hong Kong (1966).
• She designed costumes for big movies like The Guns of Navarone (1960) and The Victors (1962).
• Later, she designed costumes for many TV films produced by Norman Rosemont. These included The Man in the Iron Mask (1976) and Les Misérables (1977).
• Olga Lehmann was even nominated for an Emmy award four times for her amazing costume designs! She was nominated for The Man in the Iron Mask (1977), The Four Feathers (1978), and A Tale of Two Cities (1981). Her last nomination was for The Master of Ballantrae (1984).
• In 1985, she painted portraits of actors like Barbara Stanwyck and Charlton Heston for the TV series The Colbys.

Exhibitions

Olga Lehmann's art was shown in many galleries and exhibitions.

• She had her own shows at places like The AIA Gallery in London and Gainsborough's House in Suffolk.
• Her work was also part of group shows at The London Group and The Royal Portrait Society.
• Her mural designs were shown at the Building Centre in London in 1938.
• Her art was displayed at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in London.
• The Tate Gallery even featured her work in an exhibition called Mural Painting in Great Britain in 1939.

Collections

Olga Lehmann's artworks are kept in many important collections.

• The Fry Art Gallery in Saffron Walden.
• The British Film Institute in London.
• The Victoria and Albert Museum Archive of Art and Design in London.
• The Royal Air Force Museum Art Collection in London.
• The Imperial War Museum in London.
• The Slade School of Fine Art in London.

Record sleeves

Olga Lehmann designed many record covers for Argo Records (UK) between 1954 and 1957. Some of these included:

• Under Milk Wood, a BBC recording.
• Songs from Jamaica and Songs from Trinidad, recorded by Edric Connor.
• The Waste Land, a famous poem by T. S. Eliot.
• The Beggar's Opera.

See also

In Spanish: Olga Lehmann para niños