The Wasp — 1895 — page 195: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts an auction or exhibition of European nobility. The text identifies two items "on hand": 1. **Count de Castellane** (French) - priced at $2,000,000 2. **Duke of Malborough** (English) - price unlisted The scene shows wealthy American women (indicated by their elaborate dress and the "pedigree" document held by one figure) examining these European aristocrats as if they were merchandise or prize animals at auction. The man on the left stands formally near a "Coat of Arms" display. This satirizes the Gilded Age practice of wealthy American heiresses marrying impoverished European nobility in exchange for titles—trading American money for social prestige. The cartoon mocks both the commodification of aristocracy and American social climbing, presenting European titles as purchasable goods evaluated by wealthy American women.