The Wasp — 1896 — page 331: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts a man in a top hat and formal dress presenting an unfurled document (presumably a marriage contract or agreement) to a woman. The woman appears skeptical or dismayed at what he's proposing. The accompanying text reveals the joke: a man wants to "swap my wife for one that ain't lost all her teeth and ain't everything contraband." His friend responds that after Andrew Jackson's death, such exchanges went to heaven, and sarcastically asks if he wanted to "go, sah, or not?" The satire mocks marital dissatisfaction and the absurdity of treating wives as tradeable commodities. The reference to Jackson's death suggests this was published during the 1837 period following his death, using contemporary political figures for comedic effect about domestic unhappiness.