The Wasp, 1913 · page 316 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 316: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This appears to be a narrative passage rather than a political cartoon. It describes a character named James Burnham (also called Mr. Fitzwalter) who removes a disguise—an artificial hump, black eye patch, and scratch-wig—revealing himself as nobility (the "heraldic device of the Burnhams"). He then visits a tailor to obtain fashionable court clothing befitting "the greatest dandy at the court of the new queen." The satire likely mocks aristocratic pretension and social climbing: a nobleman must literally shed a lowborn disguise and acquire expensive tailored clothes to present himself at court. The reference to "the new queen" suggests this may relate to a specific historical moment, though the exact context is unclear without additional publication information. The humor targets vanity, class consciousness, and the superficiality of courtly fashion.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE WASP 309 his person by straps; and when the artificial hump was removed the heraldic device of the Burnhams of Burnham came to light. James Burnham, once more in his native land, clothed himself in silk and linen from the larger of his two boxes, and removed the black patch from his left eye. His garments were rich in material, but not of the latest cut. He transferred some gold from the leather bag to his pockets, hid the bag, the artificial hump, and the black patch between the mattresses of his bed, then went out, locking the doors behind him. He went in his own hair, leaving his scratch-wig in his bedroom. At his side he wore a long, silver- hilted sword. He went straight to a tailor’s shop, and, after a deal of thumping on a side door, brought the master of the establishment to an upper window. At last the tailor consented to admit the belated customer; and Mr. Fitzwalter—or James Burnham, if you like—was measured for a complete outfit of clothing that would have done credit to the greatest dandy at the court of the new queen. Comicooks.com