The Wasp — 1896 — page 81: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page features a satirical cartoon titled "Another New Woman" accompanying a humorous story "By Easy Stages." The illustration depicts two fashionably dressed women, one on a bicycle—a visual reference to the "New Woman" social phenomenon of the late 19th/early 20th century. The "New Woman" was a controversial figure: educated, independent, and engaged in activities (like cycling) previously reserved for men. The cartoon and accompanying text satirize how women's increasing independence and changing roles in society were perceived as threatening or absurd by conservative observers. The story's subtitle, "Lady, I understand yer want a nurse what can ride a bicycle wid yer children," mocks both the expanding expectations placed on women and society's anxiety about female autonomy and changing gender roles.