Solomon McCombs papers
name: label: Creator
content: McCombs, Solomon, 1913-1980
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: When he retired in 1974 to Tulsa, Oklahoma, Solomon McCombs, Creek Indian artist, deposited those of his papers which he thought to be of interest to posterity in the National Anthropological Archives. More papers can expect to be added in the future. There are no accession numbers for the existing material.

Literary property rights to unpublished material in the collection are still retained by Solomon McCombs.
creator: label: Creator
content: McCombs, Solomon, 1913-1980
setName: label: See more items in
content: Solomon McCombs papers
bioghist: label: Biographical Note
content: Chronology

May 17, 1913 -- Born West of Eufaula, Oklahoma

1937-1937 -- Student at Bacone College, Oklahoma

1940-1941 -- First participation in an Indian art exhibition, Oklahoma Indian Painting, Tulsa, Oklahoma

1943 -- Student at Tulsa Downtown College

1943-1948 -- Employed by Douglas Aircraft Company, Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. Corps of Engineers, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Clovis Air Force Base and Bureau of Reclamation, Nebraska

1950-1956 -- Employed by General Services Administration, Washington D.C.

1954 -- Asian and African Tour sponsored by U.S. Department of State.

1956-1973 -- Employed by U.S. Department of State, Washington D.C.

1961 -- Married Margarita Sauer

1963 -- President, American Indian and Eskimo Cultural Foundation, Washington D.C.

1965 -- Waite Phillips Special Indian Artists Award, Tulsa, Oklahoma

1968 -- Grand Award, Five Civilized Tribes Museum, Muskogee, Oklahoma

1969 -- Grand Award, Philbrook Art Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma

1970 -- First Prize, International Platform Association, Washington D.C.

1973 -- Retired to Tulsa, Oklahoma on December 30, 1973

1974 -- Retrospective one-man show, Washington Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

1974 -- Welcome back one-man show, Philbrook Art Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma

1976 -- First Prize, Trail of Tears Exhibit, Tulsa Oklahoma
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 2 Linear feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1941-1974
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: National Anthropological Archives
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NAA.1974.0401
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Finding  aid by Ioana Rates, Summer 1976

Encoded by Zac Greenfield, February 2018
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Reflecting the professional activity of Solomon McCombs, Creek Indian artist, and promoter of his people's culture, these papers include correspondence, lectures, unpublished writings, photographs, and various other items collected by the artist.


The bulk of the correspondence consists of two categories of incoming letters pertaining to McCombs' artistic activities: 1) those referring to exhibitions, one-man shows, awards and prizes; 2) correspondence with fellow artists, such as Acee Bluee Eagle (maintained over a period of seven years, 1952-1958), Fred Beaver, Robert Mulky, and Joan Hill. Amply referred to, starting in 1948, are the annual exhibitions at the Philbrook Art Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in which McCombs regularly participated. A substantial portion of the letters written during the 1954-1955 period refers to the artist's Asian and African tour, sponsored by the U.S. State Department and devoted to the presentation of the American Indian contribution to the development of hte United States and its culture. Part of the correspondence related to his career as an illustrator, architectural draftsman, cartographer and audio-visual officer for the General Service Administration and the State Department. Some letters document his activities as a founder and President of American Indian and Eskimo Cultural Foundation. Included are also letters from prominent personalities, such as Hubert Humphrey and Richard Nixon.


The lectures on American Indian art, which are part of the collection, were presented on various occasions in the United States and abroad. One speech, which he entitled "My report to the Creeks," describes his experiences and observations abroad.


Among the subject files assembled by Solomon McCombs there is one on the Exhibitions at St. John's Church which contains material on the artist, his wife Margarita Sauer McCombs, and Anne T. Stinson who jointly exhibited there. 


The photographs were taken at the Contemporary American Indian Art Exhibit sponsored by Arizona State University, the University of South Dakota and the University of Utah. Among the different items collected by S. McCombs, from stamps to all kinds of cards, there is a geneaology of the McIntosh family and a catalog list of an Exhibit of Oklahoma Indian Paintings during the 1940-1941 season in which are listed paintings by Solomon McCombs and Acee Blue Eagle.


There is very little on his private life or his career prior to coming to Washington D.C., and nothing on his childhood or education. Nor is there any reference made to his published works.


The National Anthropological Archives has a few of Solomon McCombs' works in its Collection of Tradtional and Contemporary American Indian Art.