Introducing The Chef Rastus, the Man and the Artist behind Cream of Wheat Cereal Advertisements

Connie Fredericks-Malone has collected Cream of Wheat Cereal ads for more than 40 plus years. She has amassed a collection of 50 newspaper and magazine ads, sketches, and a recipe book. The earliest ads date back to the late 1800's. "My interest in collecting these prints grew substantially after reading Dave Stivers' work entitled The Nabisco Brands Collection of Cream of Wheat Advertising Art" says Connie. "Stivers' book introduced me to numerous illustrators of Cream of Wheat Cereal ads, but Edward V. Brewer's work stood out to me the most". Unlike the negative caricatures of blacks presented in many ads at the time, Brewer chose to portray Rastus as a multidimensional human being. Brewer painted Rastus in Cream of Wheat Cereal ads from 1911 to 1926 and most of  the prints in the collection are by him.   

Who was the model for the Chef? Was he a real person and where did he come from? What was the relationship between Rastus and Brewer? These and other fascinating questions will be addressed in the exhibit Introducing The Chef Rastus, the Man and the Artist behind Cream of Wheat Cereal Advertisements on display at the Wood Library for the month of February in celebration of Black History Month.  The exhibit opens Thursday, February 1, 2024, Lobby, Wood Library, Canandaigua, NY. The Opening Reception is scheduled for Thursday, February 8th at 6PM, Wood Library, the Hamlin Room. Guest speakers include Connie Fredericks-Malone and a representative of the Society of Illustrators.