The Olof Hanson Papers consist of letters, clippings, certificates, diary, poems, calling cards, receipts, account books, publications, lecture papers, sketch books, architectural papers, and reports.

The collection, which consists of approximately 6,800 pages, dates from 1862 to 1948. The bulk of the collection consists of his correspondence between his family and relatives; also his correspondence concerning the architectural works. The bulk dates are mostly between 1870s and 1920s.

The largest subject in the collection is focused on the architectural works of which Olof was employed as an architect. He corresponded with the contractors and builders concerning the construction of several buildings.

Olof wrote numerous letters to his family, relatives, and friends. He kept early letters written by his father, mother, siblings, and relatives in Swedish and he transcribed all of the early letters from Swedish into English.

Included in the collection are the letters Olof wrote to President Theodore Roosevelt concerning discrimination among the deaf people whom were barring from taking civil service examination.

Also included in the collection are debate papers and course works that Olof wrote while he was a student at the National Deaf-Mute College, now Gallaudet University. Olof spent a year in Europe where he studied architecture and in the collection there are sketchbooks of buildings and people that he drew while in Europe.

In the collection there is a folder that contains Olof’s conversation notes with an imposter who acted as a deaf person.

There are numerous original architectural drawings in a separate collection; also photographs of buildings that Olof designed. There are several photographs of Olof’s family and relatives.