The collection consists of color artist's renderings and of black and white and hand-colored photographs depicting parade floats that were designed by Malcolm P. Hutchinson, a floral designer from Portland, Oregon, from the 1930s through the 1950s. Most of the floats were designed for the Portland Rose Festival parade, but one float was designed for a 1949 parade in Seattle, Washington, and some other floats represented in the collection may also have been designed for other events. Some of the artist's renderings include design notes or other information, such as the organizations the floats were built for and prizes the floats won. The collection also includes several pencil sketches of floats, and some correspondence and documentation from 1951, primarily relating to a Meier & Frank promotional event for which Hutchinson did floral work. Unless otherwise signed, the renderings were drawn or likely drawn by Hutchinson.

Photographs in the collection, taken by various photographers, depict floats that Hutchinson designed for the Portland Rose Festival, including three hand-colored images of floats designed for the 1931, 1932, and 1933 festivals.