Buffalorising has been redesigned.

As far as the history of the flag goes, a very brief version is reprinted here:

Buffalo’s first flag was adopted by the Common Council in 1912. Then-mayor L.P. Fuhrmann had received a request from a publisher in NYC to provide them with a copy of the city flag graphic for “a work which includes colored illustrations of the municipal flags of various larger cities.” The mayor and Commissioner of Public Works, Francis G. Ward, proposed a flag composed of the City Seal superimposed on the State Coat-of-Arms “all in blue upon the field of the flag in Continental buff.” Although the Ad Club submitted a competing design (by Charles Rohlfs: his house still stands today at 156 Park, between Allen and North) comprised of “a white bison in a field of blue, which is surrounded by a bar of white, and on the exterior, a bar of red,” the council adopted the mayor’s proposal as the official flag and the Ad Club’s as the official “trade flag” on the 15th of July, 1912.

Buffalo’s first flag was not exactly a success. In 1922, mayor F.X. Schwab remarked to the council that he did not feel that the adopted flag “sufficiently represent[s] the City of Buffalo.” He continued: “I have never seen the flag in use in this City, and I do not know that any flag has ever been made of the design…” At this time, the mayor proposed a flag design contest “open to all the residents of the city including the school children as well as the students at the Buffalo Art School.”

This contest yielded no winning design. On 31st Oct, 1923, chairman of the City Planning Committee George H. Norton reported that “while several of the designs submitted are inherently meritorious, these designs are, for the most part, complex and are not readily adaptable for reproduction for flag use or for decorative purposes.” A new contest was proposed, with a higher award. “The dignity of the city, with the significance of its history, demands a distinctive flag reflective of the past achievements and suggestive of the resources of the present and the potentialities of the future” said Norton on 5th March, 1924.

73 designs were submitted in this contest, and the City Planning Committee (with input from the Fine Arts Academy) proposed that submission #16 be selected “as the most suitable one (with certain modifications) for Buffalo’s new City flag because of it’s simplicity, distinctiveness and economy of manufacture.” The award--$250.00--was given to the designer, local architect Louis Greenstein. Interestingly, his design was a modification of his own prior design for the Buffalo Old Home Week contest in 1907. This prior flag had been manufactured (by A.J. Binnie, who went on to start Ace Flag, still in business today) but never adopted as official.

At the flag dedication ceremony on 14th June (Flag Day), 1924, mayor Schwab said that he hoped the flag, which exemplified the “energy and zeal behind the spirit of a new Buffalo” would be a point of pride for every Buffalonian.

Among the very coolest aspects of the research happened literally when the whole thing was nearly over. Picking up the flags on Tuesday, Jane at Ace Flag told me she had found in their files one more interesting document. Interesting? I was interested... and Lo!, Jane produced this: an original copy of the design in Louis Greenstein's own handwriting. That he was an architect is very clear! Also, any questions about the specifics of the design are settled with this very detailed document.

Two further points. First: Those of you who didn't show up last night, and who haven't emailed me otherwise, should contact me to make arrangements for getting your flag. They are indeed already paid for, so don't forget, or it's free flags for me! The best bet is that I will use Pavlov's Togs as a drop-box, since Tom is cool with that, it is relatively central, and not far from me.

Second, people who missed the first (or figured me for some kind of con-artist, perhaps!) have asked me about doing another drive. I should say first that Ace will have, for a limited time, Buffalo Flags in stock, as a result of this action. I'm advised that about 20 remain, and they are selling for $49.95 each. However, if I see enough comments here indicating interest in another drive (I'm thinking about 20, shy of half the needed number), I'd be willing to do it again. I see no reason why Ace should ever be out of stock of the Buffalo Flag, and indeed, I have weird dreams where the Buffalo flag, like that of Chicago, flies proudly and ubiquitously about the city. So: drop a comment.

And finally, a huge thanks once again to everyone who ordered one, to BR.O, to Fundable.org, to Ace, to the staff of the Grosvenor Room and fellow bloggers who spread the word.