High Plains History; Augusta Metcalf

[Speaker 1] Okay, this is track one, and I'm with Elaine Adams and we are going to record High Plains History, Augusta Metcalfe. Ok. [Adams] A baby born-- A baby girl born in Kansas in 1881 and transported by covered wagon to what would become the Oklahoma Territory grew up to become known as the sagebrush artist and Oklahoma's own Grandma Moses. Augusta Isabella Corson experienced as a cattle the cattle drives-- Augusta Isabella Corson experienced as a child the cattle drives, brandings, blizzards, country weddings, and prairie fires that would become the subjects of the paintings she created throughout her nearly 90 years. A self taught artist, Augusta-- A self taught artist,

Augusta observed the life and country in far west Oklahoma and drew on the materials at hand, limestone rock, crockery plates, and building materials, and sometimes on precious paper sent by an uncle in California. At the age of 24, she married James Metcalf who two years later deserted her, leaving Augusta with a newborn baby boy and a farm and ranch operation that required determination and a strong back. She took on her new role with a new name. She added an e to the end of her husband's name to declare her independence. Augusta Metcalfe and her widowed mother raised cattle, horses, hunting dogs, and crops as well as all forms of free-roaming wild life that would become playing companions for her son Howard. Her artwork first appeared for the public in a 1909 magazine in the form of ink sketches of

two of the family dogs. These drawings led to more work and recognition as she was exhibited in galleries and museums from local areas to New York City. In 1950 her paintings of early pioneering days were featured in Life Magazine. In 1968 she was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and after her death-- in 1968 she was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and after her death in 1981, into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in 1983. Her beloved ?bragoday? farm located in the middle of the Black Kettle National Grasslands area-- her beloved ?bragoday? farm located in the middle of the Black Kettle National Grassland area has become host of thousands as native Oklahomans,

crowds of schoolchildren, and tourists from far and wide seek out the old homestead in the upper Washita River Country and take a look at life as it was. It is flanked by modern architecture, the Metcalf Museum built by Augusta's son to house the paintings, drawings, and personal memorabilia-- and personal memorabilia of the woman known as the painter of the prairie. Thanks to the Metcalfe Museum and Oklahoma Heritage Association for contributing to this story. For High Plains Public Radio, I'm Elaine Adams in Durham, Oklahoma. [Speaker 1] Okay, good. There's one point in here that you know sometimes when I hear someone read it, I think "that wasn't quite what I meant", can you read this sentence again, "a self-taught artist, Augusta observed the life and country in far-west Oklahoma

and sketched on materials at hand" because when you said "drew on materials" that makes it sound like I'm going to draw on this wealth of things and I thought "wait a minute, I didn't mean it that way but I wrote it that way," so if you could say "sketched" instead of "drew". [Adams] A self taught artist, Augusta observed the life and country in far west Oklahoma and sketched on materials at hand: limestone rock, crockery plates, and building materials, and sometimes on precious papers sent by an uncle in California. [Speaker 1] Okay, great.