The Indian is a Macy's original character. He appeared in the form of a giant helium character balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
History with the Macy's Parade[]
The Indian made his Parade debut in the 1935 Parade, standing at a whopping six-stories tall.
The balloon featured an Indian chief sporting stereotypical Native-American attire, such as colored feathers and a loin cloth.
The balloon was retired after the 1936 Parade and sometime after that, the balloon made a few more appearances in the Santason Parade until 1940, when it was disposed of. A recreation of the balloon is unlikely due to the balloon being seen as racist by the standards of today.
Trivia[]
- It is currently the oldest balloon to have its colors survive on photo or video, as it appears in colored film footage of the 1936 parade, shown here.
Gallery[]
The balloon as seen in color