The Wasp — 1891 — page 32: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily **advertising content** with one small cartoon titled "TOKELETTES!!!" at the top center, showing four figures in Victorian dress appearing to smoke. The cartoon likely mocks women smoking cigarettes—a scandalous behavior for the era. "Tokelettes" appears to be a satirical term combining "toke" (smoke) with a feminine suffix, suggesting women who smoke. The figures' exaggerated poses emphasize the social transgression of female smoking, which violated strict Victorian gender norms. The surrounding advertisements (Vinegar Bitters, table wines, dentistry, etc.) suggest this issue targets San Francisco's middle and upper classes. The humor derives from depicting "respectable" women engaging in behavior considered masculine, improper, and morally questionable in that period.