The Silver Chief

The Silver Chief. Rob Fisher 1978. , The "Silver Chief" was created by sculptor Rob Fisher of Bellefonte, PA in 1978 and was given to the City of Altoona by the Downtown Altoona Progress Association. The figure is made of stainless steel and Fiberglass and is attached to an antique railroad wheel supported by a section of railroad track., The lone figure of a space-age Native American runner, sparks flying from its body, is propelled forward by the speed of the railroad wheel. The figure is a fantasy character signifying the future and is based on Fisher's love of comic book heroes. Fisher wanted the figure to symbolize the future of Altoona, riding on its past history of railroading., The idea of having the figure be a Native American was based in part on the early history of the railroad as it pushed westward into the great plains, largely the domain of the Native American., Fisher literally cast himself as the runner. The face and body of the figure were made from molds of his face, torso, arms and legs produced by his studio assistants. The molds were then used to make fiberglass parts used in the sculpture. The stainless steel framework was modeled after the pose-able figures used in artists studios as study models.