The Wasp — 1896 — page 190: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is primarily a **title/advertising page** for "The Wasp: The Illustrated Weekly of the Pacific Coast," dated 1896. The main cartoon, titled "MEASURED BY A MAN," depicts a woman in fashionable 1890s "New Woman" attire (puffy-sleeved jacket, knickerbockers) being measured or evaluated by a man in formal dress. The caption reads: "HE—'Tailor-made, eh?' SHE—'Well, what have you got to say about it?' HE (Wasp's idea)—'Only this: who measured you?'" The joke satirizes the **emerging "New Woman"** of the 1890s—women adopting masculine clothing and independence. The man's skeptical question undermines her autonomy, implying women are still ultimately judged by male standards. It reflects period anxieties about changing gender roles during this era of women's suffrage activism and social reform. The page also advertises 1896 subscription premiums, including watches and reference books.