The Wasp — 1895 — page 774: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This illustration depicts a well-dressed woman seated in an interior, gazing toward an ornate framed portrait on the wall above her. The OCR text references "Miss De Spudd" and mentions "the bride's family when they lived in a shanty on Brannan street." This appears to be social satire about class aspiration and newly acquired wealth. The joke likely concerns a bride from humble origins (the shanty) who has married into or achieved higher social status, as evidenced by her refined clothing and genteel surroundings. The portrait on the wall—possibly of a deceased relative or ancestor—may represent the pretense of established lineage. The satire mocks the gap between her actual background and her present aspirations to respectability, a common theme in The Wasp's social commentary.