The Wasp — 1895 — page 663: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The main illustration depicts "The Future of the 'Bike'" — a man in formal dress wrapped in a large fur coat while riding a bicycle. The accompanying text explains this is commentary on the bicycle becoming central to modern life, ironically suggesting it will eventually require such elaborate, impractical accessories. The right column contains miscellaneous short jokes and satirical observations on contemporary manners, including sections titled "The Viand He Sneered At," "An Obstacle," and "Love's Currency." These are brief, society-focused humor pieces poking fun at social pretension and courtship conventions. The overall page reflects late 19th-century American satire mocking both technological enthusiasm and upper-class affectations.