The Wasp — 1887 — page 243: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains several humorous texts and one central illustration. The main cartoon depicts two dogs at a dresser, with the caption "Careful, Lion! If you b'eak mamma's EDENIA bottle mamma will never forgive 'ou, NEVER!" The satire appears to target excessive concern with luxury perfume over practical matters. The illustration's use of animals (dogs) to represent human vanity—specifically a woman's obsession with her Lundborg's Perfume Edenia cologne—suggests the satirist mocked consumer culture and women's preoccupation with beauty products. The lengthy text pieces above are humorous anecdotes, including "Carl Dunder" stories mocking German accents and military life, typical of early 20th-century American satirical humor. The Lundborg's Perfume advertisement at the bottom indicates this was commercial publication balancing satire with advertising revenue.