The Wasp — 1896 — page 110: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page advertises **The Wasp**, "The Illustrated Weekly of the Pacific Coast," a San Francisco-based satirical publication. The main illustration depicts three fashionably-dressed women in an interior setting, seemingly engaged in gossip or social conversation. The caption reveals the satire's target: it mocks women's obsession with trivial social matters—specifically "hats, dresses and parties" and "church scandal"—when gathered together. The illustration satirizes Victorian-era upper-class women as shallow and scandal-mongering rather than serious-minded. The left sidebar advertises 1896 subscription premiums, including access to other publications and silver pocket watches for yearly subscribers. This represents typical magazine marketing of the era.