The Wasp — 1893 — page 109: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical illustration mocks the changing fashions among domestic servants across different decades (marked 1883 and 1893). The central figure—a fashionably dressed woman holding a wand like a fairy godmother—dominates the composition, surrounded by smaller vignettes showing various servants in period-appropriate uniforms. The caption reads: "The times change and the servitors of various stations change with them," suggesting servants were adopting increasingly elaborate or fashionable attire beyond their station. The satire likely criticizes the vanity or pretensions of servant class members who mimicked fashionable dress, or critiques employers for allowing such changes. The "wasp" mascot emphasizes the stinging social commentary on class distinctions and servant comportment during the Gilded Age.