The Wasp — 1895 — page 579: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily **advertising** for San Francisco businesses (banks, insurance companies, breweries, attorneys). The main cartoon, titled "SHE CAUGHT ON," depicts a well-dressed woman in 1890s fashion catching a man (identified as "Mr. Passe") in what appears to be deceptive behavior. The caption reads: "How old you are, Mr. Passe?" / "Yes, but I should like to be even with you" / "Oh, this is so sudden!" (with a delicious sigh). The satire mocks outdated courtship conventions and male vanity—the "Passe" man tries to deflect personal questions while the woman calls out his pretensions. It's a gentle joke about gender dynamics and the gap between romantic posturing and reality in Gilded Age society.