Municipal Flag of the City of Buffalo

The municipal flag of Buffalo is the official banner of the city of Buffalo, New York. The navy blue flag contains a large central emblem consisting of the city seal with 13 lightning bolts and interspaced stars emanating from it. Nickname: City of Good Neighbors Location of Buffalo in New York State County Erie County Mayor Byron Brown Area    - City 136. ...

History

Former flag, 1912-1924

The First Flag

The first flag of Buffalo was adopted by the Common Council in 1912. Following a request from New York City publisher, the Julius Bien Company, to provide a copy of the banner graphic for a work depciting the flags of large municipalities, mayor L.P. Fuhrmann and Commisioner of Public Works, Francis G. Ward, proposed a design. The city's first flag was composed of the city seal superimposed on the State Coat-of-Arms in blue over a yellow background. A competing design was also submitted, a white bison in a field of blue surrounded by a white bar and a red bar on the exterior. Although not adopted, that flag would serve as Buffalo's official trade flag. The Buffalo Common Council is the legislative branch of the Buffalo, NY City Government. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Big Apple Location Location in the state of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,214. ...

Common Council Proceedings, June 3, 1912

"'To the left center a lighthouse on pier with ship passing it into harbor. To the lower right canal boat passing into canal to the right surrounded in circle by the legend "City of Buffalo, Incorporated 1832.'

The municiplalites of the United States having as a rule a Municipal Flag, eaminination shows the general practice to be the use of the Coat or Arms of the City or the Coat of Arms of the State upon which is superimposed the seal of the City.

In accordance with the latter rule we submit as a design for the Municipal Flag of the City of Buffalo, the following:

'The Coat of Arms of the State of New York with the Seal of the City of Buffalo superimposed upon the shield of the same all in blue upon the field of the flag in Continental buff.'"

Flag Seal

Though the Common Council passed an ordinace describing the official seal of the city and its flag, the seal described was not the one included on the banner. At the time there were several seals being used my various city officials. The seal depicted on the flag was actually the seal being used by the Mayor. There are a few differences, the most glaring being the legend surrounding the circle says "Seal of the City of Buffalo" instead of "City of Buffalo, Incorporated 1832." The Mayoral seal also depicts two mules, nonexistent in the Common Council version, pulling the canal boat in the opposite direction described by the Council. The large ship and the pier are also completely different.

Current Flag

Flag blueprints

In 1922, mayor F.X. Schwab remarked to the Common Council that the flag did not sufficiently represent the city and proposed a contest for a new flag. After the contest failed to produce a wining design, a new contest was proposed with a more substantial reward. Seventy-three designs were submitted and the City Planning Committee with input from the Fine Arts Academy selected the new flag based on its simplicity and distinctiveness. The $250 reward was given to local architect Louis Greenstein. Finally, on June 14th, 1924, Flag Day, Buffalo's flag was officialy dedicated to the city. In the United States, Flag Day (more formally, National Flag Day), is celebrated on June 14. ...

Symbolism

The city flag is meant to illustrate the energy and zeal behind the spirit of Buffalo. According to then mayor Schwab, it signifies the love and admiration which Buffalonians have for their city.

The thirteen stars are meant to signify the original thirteen colonies. The matching number of bolts symbolizes the power of Niagara. Betsy Ross purportedly sewed the first American flag with 13 stars and 13 stripes representing each of the 13 states. ... For other uses, see Niagara Falls (disambiguation). ...