Vintage Thanksgiving Girl & Turkey Greeting Card, Early 1900s

What exactly is happening when a rosy-cheeked child in a blue military-style coat with a red belt clutches what can only be described as a novelty horn with a flag attached — because apparently the best way to communicate 'armed and ready' is through festive noise-making equipment — and faces off with a turkey the size of a Labrador retriever? The turkey, rendered in gloriously iridescent dark plumage with a violently red wattled head, is craning its neck directly into the child's personal space with the energy of a middle manager who didn't get the memo about boundaries. The dark silhouetted village backdrop and gold-toned sky give the whole scene the aesthetic of a wartime propaganda poster, which feels oddly appropriate given that one party in this confrontation is about to become dinner. 'For a Happy Thanksgiving,' says the text, cheerfully, as if this isn't a deeply unequal negotiation between a toddler with a party horn and a bird who has clearly already lost.