Vintage Thanksgiving Card: Child and Turkey, Early 1900s
Text on Card
Wishing you a Jolly Thanksgiving
Description
A cream-colored paper stock provides the backdrop for this charming Edwardian-era Thanksgiving greeting card, featuring a delightful pen-and-ink illustration of a cherubic child figure facing away from the viewer with both arms raised toward a plump turkey perched on a fence rail or ledge above. The child wears a hat, suspenders, and knickerbockers, rendered in the soft, rounded proportions typical of early 20th-century commercial greeting card art. The composition showcases the playful, whimsical aesthetic popular in Edwardian holiday cards, with simple yet expressive linework capturing the gentle humor of the era. The hand-lettered text reads 'Wishing you a Jolly Thanksgiving,' embodying the warm sentimentality of the period. The turkey sits elevated above the child, who reaches up with both arms raised, the turkey's placement and the child's gesture embodying the festive spirit of the holiday. This pen-and-ink illustration exemplifies early American holiday ephemera and remains a treasured example of Edwardian greeting card artistry.
Subjects
child, turkey, Thanksgiving, holiday greeting
Printing Notes
Hand-lettered text; artist signature visible at bottom left corner
