On the upper level of the building the Elmslie terra cottas were arranged in this manner. Obviously they were too high for their great detail to be visible to the pedestrian.

Steer Panel.
These ornate panels are very similar in detail to the terra cottas in the Woodbury County Court House, another Steele and Elmslie collaboration. Our research has found only one other building of the period decorated with bovine terra cottas. It is the Grain Exchange in Minneapolis, but the detail is much less significant than is found here. This panel is a masterpiece of craftsmanship by the modeler and has true artistic merit in its opulent design.

Floral Square.
The floral square is a perfect example of the principles of philosophy and design in the tradition of Louis Sullivan. The geometric forms, symbolizing the mathematical abstraction of nature and the plant elements, signifying the real visual world are married together in a yin-yang, male-female relationship of unity and harmony, resulting in a masterpiece of American ingenuity.

Large Diamond.
The large diamond pattern was used on the cornice of the building and at one time had also graced the main entrance to the bank on its north side which resembled a great portal reminiscent of the gates of Ishtar now in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. Renovation of the bank in the middle of the 20th century had witnessed their loss. Until our documentation and salvation of all the magnificent terra cottas the indescribable beauty of their detail was virtually unknown. Note the graceful tulip embraced by a thistle-like foliage. Note also the shallow relief in the geometric patterns.

Diamond & Border.
The large diamond pattern was used on the cornice of the building and at one time had also graced the main entrance to the bank on its north side which resembled a great portal reminiscent of the gates of Ishtar now in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. Renovation of the bank in the middle of the 20th century had witnessed their loss. Until our documentation and salvation of all the magnificent terra cottas the indescribable beauty of their detail was virtually unknown. Note the graceful tulip embraced by a thistle-like foliage. Note also the shallow relief in the geometric patterns. The undulating border pattern of wave-like lines and Sulllivan’s indescribable trapezoids make a lyrical fusion of idea and form.

Signage.
The terra cotta signage is the indisputable signature of G.G.Elmslie. This elaborate design could only come from his great inventiveness and understanding of Louis Sullivan’s unique comprehension of the necessity for natural and inventive beauty in the exterior definition of architecture. The swirling lines and foliage recall fiddle ferns and thistle. I wonder if this was a calling back to Elmslie’s Scottish origin. The abstraction achieved in this magnificent design is beyond comparison. The complexity of its many details is counterbalanced by the simple geometric compliments found in the large spatial areas.