Vintage Thanksgiving Greeting Card with Tom Turkey, Edwardian Era

The turkey's grotesquely crimson wattle droops with the confidence of someone who absolutely does not know what's coming—a detail that becomes strangely prescient once you notice the bottom panel. Copyrighted in 1909 by S. Garre and painted by what appears to be Ellen H. Clapsaddle (a woman who apparently had a very healthy relationship with poultry), this chromolithograph presents a magnificently puffed-up bird strutting in three-quarter view, his iridescent dark plumage fanned into full display. The ornate gold border, blue-accented decorative frame, and elegant typography scream 'this is a classy occasion,' while the dainty blue-and-white teacup on a saucer, autumn leaves, and folded napkin cheerfully imply that yes, you will be wiping your mouth with linen after consuming this exact bird. It is, impressively, both a nature portrait and a menu.