The Wasp — 1896 — page 563: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily **advertising and business directory** for San Francisco establishments, with minimal satirical content. The central illustration, captioned "THEIR SCARCITY EXPLAINED," depicts a bride flanked by two men in formal wear. The accompanying text suggests social commentary about divorced women: "Miss Pacific—'I do see a lot of divorced women around, but rarely a divorced man. I wonder what becomes of them?' Ms. Piper (a married man)—'They die of joy.'" This joke satirizes **gender dynamics and marriage**, implying men benefit from divorce while women suffer emotionally—reflecting period attitudes about women's economic dependence and social status tied to marital status. The remainder comprises San Francisco business advertisements (breweries, laundries, hotels, bookbinders), typical of late 19th-century magazine monetization.