'I Done Had to Frame Rastus'
1912
Perched on a wooden ladder in a cozy, stone-walled kitchen, a cheerful woman proudly gestures toward a framed 'Cream of Wheat' advertisement. The poster, decorated with a festive holly wreath, features the brand's famous mascot, 'Rastus,' enjoying a warm bowl of cereal. Created by Edward Vincent Brewer in 1912, this illustration playfully blends domestic life with early commercial branding. While it reflects the Regionalism movement's focus on everyday American scenes, it also highlights the complicated history of racial caricatures in advertising, as the 'Rastus' figure was a widespread stereotype of the era.
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