The Wasp — 1895 — page 230: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains two distinct pieces: **"Wasp on the Wing"** (left): A narrative anecdote mocking a policeman's wife who visits her husband's school to complain about his low social position. The principal deflates her pretensions by noting a policeman ranks above her husband. It's social satire on class anxiety and aspirational snobbery among working-class families. **"Our Cyclomaniacs"** (right): A cartoon titled "Snap Shots by a Wasp Artist in Golden Gate Park—No. 1" depicting cyclists. The accompanying text discusses San Francisco population statistics and contains unrelated society gossip items (including a joke about a chambermaid and magistrate). The page primarily satirizes social pretension and includes period cycling commentary, reflecting late-19th/early-20th-century concerns about urban hierarchy and the bicycle craze.