Vintage Fourth of July Greeting Card: Patriotic Soldiers Flag

A scene of patriotic fervor unfolds with two colonial soldiers—one adult, one child—both decked out in matching blue-and-gold military coats and tricorn hats, which is where the card's logic takes a turn: apparently the best way to celebrate 'happy birthday, America' is through a matching parent-child war outfit set. The kid clutches drumsticks over a drum bearing the word 'Clayton,' which is either a brand name or the saddest personal dedication in holiday card history. Behind them, a dramatically billowing American flag provides the kind of overwrought patriotic backdrop that makes you feel like you should be saluting your mailbox. The adult's expression reads less 'celebrating liberty' and more 'I have seen things at Valley Forge that I will never speak of.'