Victorian Easter Cards – Part One
As a fan of anthropomorphism, I am generally amused by the animals on Victorian greeting cards.   Cute little clothes and vehicles can help the cards tell wonderful stories with just a scene. As I began to gather more and more Victorian greeting card images, I noticed a couple of odd trends. I’ll save one of them for the next blog, but this time it’s about relationships. The first couple of cards below depict rabbit couples. It seems normal enough. The next three though are much more odd and if you think about it, a bit sinister. I suppose if a pig and frog can have a thirty seven year relationship, then a rabbit and a fowl can too. I think the really disturbing part is that the rabbit’s love interest is not a full grown chicken, but a mere chick; a child to be frank. There is also the fact that she is topless. If you are going to put clothes on them, you can’t really skip random pieces. The last picture shows them with their offspring. Did this rabbit somehow stunt the growth of his feathered child bride? Well, obviously I don’t know what the artist actually had in mind, but it certainly makes one think.
Next post will be about animal subjugation. Oh those Victorians!
