The Wasp — 1876 — page 225: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contrasts European and American social practices through four paired illustrations: **Top panels:** "Sensible Men in Europe" shows gentlemen socializing temperately, while "Temperance Fanatics in America" depicts Americans as obsessive abstainers. **Middle panels:** "Shoemakers & Tailors in Europe" shows craftsmen working normally, contrasted with American versions engaging in what appears to be excessive or peculiar behavior. **Bottom section:** "Christmas Sketches" - five circular vignettes depicting Christmas celebrations, likely comparing European and American holiday traditions. The satire mocks American temperance movement advocates as extreme fanatics, while suggesting Europeans maintain more balanced, sensible social customs. The cartoon reflects 19th-century tensions between American moral reform movements and more permissive European traditions.