The Wasp — 1896 — page 349: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts a skeleton couple in an intimate embrace. The title references Wilhelm Röntgen, who discovered X-rays in 1895, making this likely from the early 1900s when X-ray technology fascinated the public. The satire appears to mock the novelty and somewhat scandalous applications of X-rays—particularly their use to see through clothing, which raised Victorian-era propriety concerns. By showing skeletons (the ultimate "see-through" image), the cartoon jokes about X-ray technology revealing what should remain hidden. The romantic context ("Romeo") adds ribald humor: X-rays were sensationalized in popular culture, sometimes associated with voyeuristic possibilities that alarmed moralists. This reflects contemporary anxiety about technology disrupting social conventions around modesty and privacy.