The Wasp — 1893 — page 240: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This *Wasp* cartoon satirizes the widespread craze for whist (a popular card game of the era) that apparently consumed American society. The seven panels show how whist addiction disrupted normal life: 1. Families neglecting sleep to play 2. Business transactions conducted around whist tables 3. Dinner postponed indefinitely 4. Elaborate whist tournaments attracting crowds 5. Office workers abandoning duties 6. Gamblers betting heavily on games 7. Street workers and laborers distracted The satire mocks how whist's popularity transcended all social classes—from wealthy families to street workers—suggesting the game's addictive nature was paralyzing productivity and domestic responsibility. The title "THE WHIST MANIA" emphasizes this portrayal as irrational, obsessive behavior threatening social order.