The Wasp — 1890 — page 316: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical article mocks women's increasing participation in sports and athletics during the late 19th century. The illustrations show women engaging in bar exercises, pulley work, club exercises, and fencing—activities considered unconventional for women at the time. The accompanying "Politics" section discusses California gubernatorial and senatorial races, mentioning Governor Waterman, presidential succession disputes, and Republican convention politics. The satire appears to ridicule both the "feminine athletic fever" as a social trend and contemporary political maneuvering. The juxtaposition suggests The Wasp viewed both women's athletic ambitions and political infighting as equally absurd or worthy of mockery—reflecting late-Victorian attitudes dismissing women's athletic pursuits as unseemly or ridiculous.