Olga Lehmann

Louise Olga Mary Lehmann (married name Huson; 10 February 1912 – 26 October 2001) was a British–Chilean painter and graphic, costume and set designer.

Early life

Lehmann was born Louise Olga Mary Lehmann on 10 February 1912 in Catemu, to Andrew William Lehmann (1878–1970), a mining engineer and chairman of a copper mining company, and Mary Grisel Lehmann . Lehmann's father was born in Paris to French and German parents, and her mother was Scottish. The eldest of three siblings, Lehmann was the sister of Monica Pidgeon, an architectural journalist and editor, and Andrew George Lehmann, a literary critic, writer and academic. In 1921, aged 9, Lehmann was sent to England where she studied at the Dulwich High School for Girls until 1926. Awarded student prizes in life painting, composition, and theatrical design, Lehmann graduated in 1934. and portraiture. She exhibited her work at the Royal Society of Portrait Painters in 1933, and with the London Group in 1935. Later sitters of note consisted of people associated with the film or record industries such as singers Edric Connor, Carmen Prietto, conductor Richard Austin, and actors Dirk Bogarde and Patrice Wymore. In 1937 she illustrated the book Weekend Caravan, edited by S. Hillelson. In 1938 she illustrated the book Happy Heart, Some frontier folk I have met, fish, flesh and fowl, by Cora L. Shearburn. In 1940 Lehmann was permitted by the War Office to make sketches and drawings of London bomb damage, air raid shelters, and Air Raid Precautions personnel. In 1941, Lehmann began drawing monthly illustrations for the British Broadcasting Corporation's publication the Radio Times, commissions that would last over a period of almost two decades. Lehmann also started drawing illustrations for another BBC publication, The Listener, beginning with Louis Macneice's Cook's Tour of the London Subways. In 1941, Lehmann also illustrated the novel Look! The Wild Swans, by Juliette de Baïracli Levy (pictorial title page, frontis, six full-page and one half-page illustrations in black and white, pictorial card cover). She later illustrated a book of poetry by Levy, The Yew Wreath, (eight full-page black and white illustrations, pictorial card cover), and a second novel of Levy's, The Bride of Llew, (black and white illustrations, pictorial card cover). She also designed and painted murals in the Pavilion Hotel, Scarborough, and the Grand Hotel, Brighton, by which time she had entered the British film industry. In 1953 Lehmann painted a mural on canvas featuring Captain Bligh for Errol Flynn's Tichfield Hotel in Port Antonio, Jamaica.

Film, television, and theatrical design

In 1941, Lehmann painted murals for the film Hi Gang! at Gainsborough Studios, Islington, and for the film Much Too Shy. She also joined the Association of Cine-Technicians union as a member of the Scenic Artists division, and painted scenery and mural decorations at Gaumont British Studios, Riverside Studios, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios, and British National Studios. In 1943 she painted mural decorations for the film He Snoops to Conquer. In 1944 Lehmann joined the art department of British National Studios as a scenic artist. She painted mural decorations for the film Waltz Time. 1945: Lehmann painted mural decorations for the film Latin Quarter. 1946–1954: Lehmann was contracted to Associated British Picture Corporation, painting murals, scenery, portraits of contract stars; drawing continuity sketches and production designs. 1946: Lehmann executed paintings for the film The Ghosts of Berkeley Square. 1947: Lehmann painted portraits for the film No Room at the Inn, murals for the film Counterblast, and portraits and murals for the film The Three Weird Sisters. 1948: Lehmann painted mural decorations for the film Private Angelo. 1949: Lehmann painted portraits of Marlene Dietrich for Alfred Hitchcock's Stage Fright. 1950: Lehmann designed the opening credits and painted the portrait of Hugh Griffith for the film Laughter in Paradise. 1951: Lehmann painted scenic decoration on the film The Master of Ballantrae. 1954: Lehmann executed the storyboard and several costume designs for the film The Dark Avenger. She also did scenic decoration on the film Oh, Rosalinda! 1955: Lehmann painted the portraits and drew the storyboard for the London sequence of the film based on Jules Verne's novel, Michael Todd's Around the World in 80 Days. She also designed credit titles for the film Safari. She painted the portrait of Terry Moore for the film Portrait of Alison, and designed costumes for the films The Big Money and Gamma People. 1956: Lehmann devised and designed Vera-Ellen's ballet for Marcel Helman's film Let's be Happy. She also designed the costumes for the film Robbery under Arms. 1957: Lehmann designed the costumes and credit titles for George Pal's film The Adventures of Tom Thumb, and drew the storyboard for the film Inn of the Sixth Happiness. 1958: Lehmann designed the costumes for Robert Hamer's film The Scapegoat. She also drew the storyboard for Nicholas Ray's film The Savage Innocents. 1959: Lehmann drew the storyboard for Vincente Minnelli's film The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. She also painted portraits of Peter Sellers for Anthony Asquith's film The Millionairess. 1960: Lehmann became Film Art Director for the London advertising agency Mather & Crowther for two years. She also designed the costumes for Carl Foreman's film The Guns of Navarone, and costumes for the Girl Guides of Great Britain 25th Jubilee pageant. 1962: Lehmann formed Olga Lehmann Associates, and took the post of Production Designer for Rank Advertising Films, a position she held for over ten years. She also designed the costumes for Carl Foreman's film The Victors. 1966: Lehmann designed costumes for Tippi Hedren in Charlie Chaplin's film A Countess from Hong Kong. 1968: Lehmann designed costumes for the film Captain Nemo and the Underwater City. 1970: Lehmann designed costumes for the Delbert Mann's film Kidnapped. 1976: Lehmann designed costumes and painted a portrait for William Bast's adaptation for television of Dumas's The Man in the Iron Mask, produced by Norman Rosemont. She also designed costumes and painted a portrait for Rosemont's television film The Four Feathers. 1977: Lehmann received an Emmy nomination for outstanding costume design on The Man in the Iron Mask. She designed the costumes for Rosemont's television film Les Misérables. 1978: Lehmann received an Emmy nomination for outstanding costume design on The Four Feathers. 1979: Lehmann designed the costumes for Rosemont's television films Little Lord Fauntleroy and A Tale of Two Cities. 1981: Lehmann received an Emmy nomination for outstanding costume design on A Tale of Two Cities. Lehmann designed costumes for Rosemont's television films Ivanhoe and Witness for the Prosecution. 1983: Lehmann designed costumes and painted a portrait for William Bast's television adaptation of The Master of Ballantrae and for William Bast's television film The First Olympics: Athens 1896, both produced by Larry White. 1984: Lehmann received an Emmy nomination for outstanding costume design on The Master of Ballantrae. 1985: Lehmann painted portraits of Barbara Stanwyck, Charlton Heston and Stephanie Beacham for the Spelling/Shapiro/Cramer ABC television series The Colbys.

Exhibitions

One-woman

Under Milk Wood, the BBC recording. Robert Still: Quintet for Three Flutes, Violin and Cello. Songs from Jamaica, recorded by Edric Connor. Songs from Trinidad, recorded by Edric Connor. The Legend of Sarah Bernhardt, recorded by Esme Percy. Constant Lambert. Songs from Mexico. Béla Bartók. Fauré. Sir Edward Elgar. Calypso, recorded by Edric Connor. Sir William Walton. Music by William Byrd. The Waste Land, by T. S. Eliot. The Beggar's Opera.