The Wasp — 1890 — page 15: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains three distinct sections: two illustrated vignettes about prominent women (Alice Farrington and Lillie Langtry) and two separate articles ("Catarrh" and "The Sissy Boy"). The illustrated segments are **biographical/gossip pieces** rather than political satire. They discuss actresses' careers and personal lives—Farrington's debut and marriage, Langtry's beauty and romantic entanglements. The tone is mocking of their vanity and moral character, typical of 19th-century celebrity gossip journalism. The "Catarrh" section is an **advertisement** for medical treatment. "The Sissy Boy" briefly mocks an effeminate young man—reflecting period attitudes toward masculinity. **No clear political cartoons appear on this page.** The Wasp here functions as a society scandal sheet rather than pursuing political satire.