The Wasp — 1896 — page 366: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page mixes editorial content with satire. The top section, "A Modern Improvement," is a poem mocking women's fashion—specifically the newly added pockets in dresses. The satirical point is that women now surreptitiously pickpocket items while appearing respectable ("looking for the pocket / In her stocking"). Below is a biographical profile of Robert M. Welch, chairman of California's Racing Board, presented earnestly without apparent satire. Two illustrated vignettes follow: "A Questionable Fate" depicts relationship advice about spousal contentment, and "A Dangerous Species" shows a man confronting a snake, with a caption about handling snakes. The page primarily satirizes emerging women's fashion innovations and gender behavior, typical of *The Wasp's* social commentary approach.