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1 of 1977 Retrieved from UW-L Murphy Library

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Imagefile	People\Oyen_Odin.JPG
Name	Oyen, Odin
Other Name	Odin Julius Oyen
Birth Date	5/21/1865
Birthplace	Trondhjem, Norway
Deceased	7/31/1926
Place of Death	La Crosse, WI
Mother	Anna Oyen
Father	Lars Oyen
Spouse	Emma Nelson Oyen
Children	Leighton Oyen Harold Oyen
Occupation	Interior decorator, carver, and painter Owner of an interior decorating firm, likely the Owner of the Oyen-Ad Sign System
Role	Artist
Education	Eight years of formal education in Madison, WI Apprenticeship under the T. A. Nelson Decorating firm The Art Institute of Chicago, tutored by John Henry Vanderpoel - graduated 1888
Places of Residence	Trondhjem, Norway Chicago, IL Madison, WI La Crosse, WI Butte, MT Great Falls, MT Minneapolis, MN
Notes	Odin Julius Oyen was born to Anna and Lars Oyen on May 21, 1865 in Trondhjem, Norway. In 1870, Lars and Anna immigrated to Chicago, IL with their children, Odin, Annie, Mollie, and Thea. Their eldest child, Peter, stayed in Norway with relatives due to poor health. The family then moved to Madison, WI in 1872, where Lars worked as a woodfinisher and painter. Lars and Anna had another son while in Madison, named Louis. In Madison, Odin received eight years of formal education, and while his teachers encouraged him to pursue his artistic talents, he lacked the financial resources to do so. At the age of fourteen, Odin became an apprentice of T. A. Nelson Decorating firm and continued to live with his parents during his apprenticeship. When he finished his apprenticeship, he was gifted with a dollar and a bible. In 1883, Odin enrolled in the Art Institute of Chicago and studied under John Henry Vanderpoel, author of "The Human Figure." As a student, participated in several student competitions and often won first place. While attending university, Odin worked for the S. A. Maxwell Decorating Company, a wallpaper and frescoing firm, in order to gain more practical experience. In February 1888, Ori Sorensen, who co-owned Sorensen and Davis Contractors, suggested to Odin to come to La Crosse, WI, a growing city with a building boom. It was the perfect place for Oyen to use his skills, as interior decorating was in high demand. There, along with his former employer's son, Louis Nelson, Oyen established an interior decorating business. They found success in the greater La Crosse area, as not only were new buildings being erected, but older buildings needed remodeling. By 1890, Nelson and Oyen had ended their business partnership, but in 1891, Odin was joined by his father and brother, Louis. Louis was in charge of sales and business, while Odin and Lars were the decorators. His father worked for the firm until his death in 1897. In 1895, Oyen found his business growing and began hiring other artisans, such as Norwegian immigrant Joseph Erickson, an old friend from Chicago. Erickson had a drinking habit, so in order to keep him away from the taverns and hard at work, Oyen arranged for an iced keg to be kept in Erickson's workspaces. Odin's sister, Mollie B. Oyen, a dressmaker in Chicago whose clientele included the Hixon family, began to suggest that at age 31, he should think about settling down. Mollie chose Emma Nelson, a Madison grade school teacher, as a match for her brother. On December 31, 1896, Emma and Odin married. In 1897, they had a son, Leighton, and circa 1899 had another son named Harold. Leighton trained as an artisan and would join the family decorating firm, while Harold went into sales. In 1902, Oyen purchased a sign and bill-posting company and named it the Oyen-Ad Sign System, which he used to expand his own business while generating revenue from posting ads. In 1903, Swedish immigrant Axel Edward Soderberg was hired as the advertising firm's artist. Oyen stayed active in his interior decorating business and began conducting business further outside of La Crosse, winning a bid to decorate the Minnesota's Lake County courthouse on December 19, 1905. The work was completed on February 13, 1906, and a second contract was reward to the firm. The firm's national reputation spread when the wife of the president of the Anaconda Copper Company in Butte, MT hired Oyen to decorate their chain of hotels, including the Rainbow Hotel in Great Falls, MT. John G. Morony, president of the Daly Bank & Trust Company, was impressed by Oyen's work and hired him. Other companies began taking notice of Oyen's decorating and around 1912, Oyen had obtained contracts not only for the hotels in Montana, from the Friedman Brothers theaters and theaters owned by Finklestein and Ruben. In the fall of 1912, the Oyen firm opened a new store, which Oyen designed and decorated himself, named the Oyen Building. After building his new three story shop, Oyen decided to move his focus from decorating public buildings like hotels and theaters to decorating private homes, emphasizing interior décor like rugs, draperies, and furniture. Perhaps a reason for this change was that post-WWI, many of Oyen's workers went on strike to support Gund Brewery workers, causing Oyen to be unable to finish theater commissions in Minneapolis, MN. On November 21, 1922, the firm lost Soderberg, their chief artisan, to cancer. Leighton Oyen took over his position, while Harold Oyen worked in the business and sales aspect of the business. The firm took two more large blows when in June, 1925, Harold died in a car accident and when Odin died of lung cancer on July 31, 1926. The company, renamed the Odin J. Oyen Studios, continued under Leighton and his uncle Louis until 1931, when the Great Depression and Louis' death contributed to the end of the company.
Image Caption	Retrieved from UW-L Murphy Library

Related Records

1. Mural - 2021.063.01

   Mural from the Odin J. Oyen Studio in La Crosse. Oil on canvas or burlap classical scene depicting three female embodiments of Charity, Wisdom, and Justice.

   Record Type: Object

   
2. Mural - 2021.063.02

   Mural from the Odin J. Oyen Studio in La Crosse. Oil on canvas or burlap scene of Norsemen and Norwegian gods in Valhalla seated at a table drinking. Odin is seated off-center and his two ravens, Hugin and Munin are in the top left and right corners, respectively. Odin's two wolves, Geri and Freki are in the bottom left and right corners, respectively.

   Record Type: Object

   
3. Overalls - 1989.015.12

   Pair of painter's work overalls. The overalls are a sturdy white canvas with drawstring cuffs on the pant legs. The straps of the overalls create a crisscross pattern over the back. There is one pocket on the right hand side near the hip. There are two darts beneath the arms, one on each side with twill tape ties to tighten the fit of the overalls. The overalls are splattered with grey and yellow paint. The interior of the overalls is stamped "OY...

   Record Type: Object

   
4. Painting - 1965.002.01

   Framed oil painting on canvas of yellow, red, and white flowers in a brown vase by Axel Soderberg. The vase is on top of a table next to grapes and small red fruits.

   Record Type: Object

   
5. Painting - 1965.002.02

   Framed oil painting on canvas of an "old man" by Axel Edward Soderberg. The man is seated at a table smoking with a stein on the table next to him, and his sword in front of the table.

   Record Type: Object

   
6. Painting - 2017.fic.141

   Possibly watercolor and gouache painting by Axel Edward Soderberg. Three covered wagons with pioneers, horses, oxen, and dogs. Framed and matte are gold colored. Frame is from Odin J. Oyen's Store.

   Record Type: Object