The Wasp — 1896 — page 274: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page combines advertising with social satire. The main cartoon, titled "A Part of Their Religion," depicts a well-dressed couple at what appears to be a public venue (the California State Library is visible). The accompanying dialogue jokes about women removing their hats in theaters—a contemporary etiquette debate. The man observes it's "quite the correct thing now for women to remove their headgear in an audience," while the woman agrees, except for one day yearly when "true women would submit to such self-sacrifice." She references "Easter Sunday." The satire mocks women's fashion priorities and vanity, suggesting women won't remove elaborate hats even for social courtesy, except on the most sacred religious holiday. The accompanying advertisement for "The Wonder Millinery" reinforces the page's focus on fashionable headwear.