Big Chief (The Indian) - Kelloggs Corn Flakes mask (1950s) - cutout

This vintage “Big Chief” mask was part of Kellogg’s popular 1950s cereal box promotions, when children could cut out colorful paper masks directly from the packaging. Boldly illustrated with a feathered headdress, stoic features, and vivid detail, the mask reflected mid-century America’s fascination with Westerns, frontier culture, and larger-than-life “Indian Chief” imagery that filled comics, films, and Saturday matinee serials of the time.

While this character is a product of its era and represents dated cultural stereotypes, it remains an important example of postwar advertising and childhood play. Masks like these were rarely saved, as they were handled roughly and discarded once used, making surviving examples highly collectible today.

Maker: Kellogg’s Corn Flakes

Year: 1950s

Series: Cereal box cutout mask promotion

Character: Big Chief (The Indian)

Format: Cutout mask, back-of-the-box premium

Size: Approx. 8 x 8.5 inches

Condition: Vintage cutout; wear consistent with age. Colors remain strong and striking.