The Wasp — 1896 — page 592: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page from *The Wasp* (San Francisco's illustrated weekly) features a satirical cartoon titled "By the Sad Sea Waves." It depicts two women at a beach, where one holds a sign reading "This Preferred not to be taken from a Library" while another woman displays a sign about photography. The satire mocks the contradiction between Victorian propriety and modern behavior: women at seaside resorts were increasingly being photographed in bathing costumes, yet still maintained strict social codes about modesty. The caption critiques men complaining about "scarcity of men at seaside resorts" while girls embraced photography and modern fashion—suggesting hypocrisy about women's changing social roles and beach culture. The accompanying advertisement promotes *The Wasp's* special San Francisco edition (25 cents).