Vintage Thanksgiving Turkey Greeting Card, Victorian Era

The card's cheerful message about unity and rejoicing stands in stark contrast to its star subject—a turkey in full fan-tailed profile, flanked by golden fruit and dainty white blossoms like he's accepting an Oscar, completely oblivious that he's the main course. His iridescent blue-green body and dramatically fanned brown tail feathers suggest he spent considerable time preparing for this portrait, which makes the whole thing sadder, really. The ornate scroll below demands that North, South, East, and West "join hands" and "truly rejoice," which is easy to say when you're the lace-and-fruit-border decoration and not the centerpiece of a meal. The red wax seal at the bottom lends an air of official proclamation, as if someone legally notarized the turkey's impending doom.