Willie the Red Bird is a giant helium character balloon from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
History with the Macy's Parade[]
Willie the Red Bird first flew the coop in the 1932 Macy's Parade, and like many balloons from that time frame, he was an original Macy's character. Measuring 46 feet tall, with a wingspan of 40 feet, Willie was described by the New York Times as “Tony Sarg’s idea of a roc”[1], though the New York Daily News instead dubbed him a crow.[2]
Following the release of that year’s balloons, Willie, the last of the balloons in the lineup, was spotted by fishermen east of Fire Island, heading for Labrador. The Times, reporting on the issue, stated that Macy’s planned to send warnings to ships in the area if Willie was not found before the helium was expected to run out.[3] It is unknown if the balloon was ever recovered.
References[]
- ↑ “The New York Times: Friday November 25, 1932.” Nytimes.com
- ↑ https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/415941788/
- ↑ “The New York Times: Saturday November 26, 1932.” Nytimes.com