The Wasp — 1895 — page 219: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page combines editorial commentary with advertising. The main cartoon depicts two figures—a fashionably dressed woman (labeled "Mrs. Wantsagirl") and a servant or applicant—in a domestic scene about cooking and oysters. The text discusses the Gaiety Girls, a touring English dance troupe, and San Francisco society's reaction to them visiting. The article suggests male jealousy—rather than moral outrage—drove newspaper criticism about professional dancers appearing in country clubs. The cartoon appears to satirize class dynamics and domestic service, with humor centered on a cook's qualifications and raw oyster preparation, though specific identities remain unclear. The page is substantially occupied by a liquor advertisement for E. Martin & Co., a wholesale dealer in bourbon whiskeys.