The Wasp — 1893 — page 97: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The illustrated section titled "The Old Maid's Diary" appears to be a satirical column mocking San Francisco's fashionable boarding houses and their residents. The cartoon depicts an elderly woman in exaggerated Victorian dress, satirizing female fashion trends. The text criticizes the "wickedness" and pretension of boarding-house establishments, particularly targeting wealthy inhabitants who adopt fashionable airs. It ridicules women adopting Chinese fashion elements and references specific San Francisco streets (Kearny, Market). The column uses humor to lampoon upper-class affectation, materialism among boarding-house residents, and the adoption of exotic fashion trends. The satirical diary format allows commentary on San Francisco society's vanity and social climbing during this era.