William de Leftwich Dodge, 1867-1935
William de Leftwich Dodge, Talents Diversified Find Vent in Myriad Form, 1931
"Seated in the center is a heroic female figure of Buffalo, haloed in a sunburst. She is holding forth festoons of golden fruit. A Native American offers her a bundle of cattails. The mural represents the industries of Buffalo at which her citizens work. Grain storage, agriculture, water commerce, steelmaking, construction, and transportation are all represented.”
— http://buffaloah.com/a/niagSq/65/murals/source/7.html
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Agriculture — a gift from Native Americans — and technology — represented by the airplane and construction equipment — offer their effort to the iconic feminine image of Buffalo, whose halo emphasizes the spiritual nature of her city.
Black and white workers carry grain to a ship, whose boom carries the sacks on board for shipment to other states and nations.
Manual labor is the source of strength that powers the machines of Buffalo’s industry.
