Optometry Business Sign (Painting on Wood)

Optometry Business Sign (Painting on Wood) Norwegian-American Patricia Edmundson, c.1984 Plywood, paint Gift of Duane Sutter MHAHS 2009.029.0001

This sign exemplifies many that were created to promote the Mt. Horeb “Trollway.” Patricia Edmundson decorated a simple piece of plywood to advertise the office of optometrists Guenveur & Sutter. A white, wispy-haired troll sits on the ground wearing wire-rimmed glasses. The tree growing out of his long nose is a common troll art motif. A girl sporting glasses reads a book on his outstretched left hand. Eyeglasses hang from a tree’s branches and a spectacled owl peeps out of its hollow. A whimsical way to sell vision improvement, the sign demonstrates the business community’s commitment to its Norwegian branding.