The Wasp — 1896 — page 824: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page from *The Wasp* (The Illustrated Weekly of the Pacific Coast) contains a satirical illustration titled "That Same Old Question." The cartoon depicts a well-dressed couple in an intimate moment, with the woman sitting on a man's lap. The caption quotes: "Am I too heavy for you, dearest ducky darling?"—attributed to "Old Maid's Diary" on page 8. The satire appears to mock romantic courtship rituals and the clichéd dialogue between couples. The illustration's style and the reference to an "Old Maid's Diary" suggest social commentary on dating conventions and female agency in romantic relationships. The page also advertises *The Wasp's* special San Francisco edition, priced at 25 cents, describing it as "a perfect album and pictorial history of the Past and Present."