The Wasp — 1888 — page 537: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts well-dressed women and men at what appears to be a social gathering or party, with the departing guest saying "Good-bye, boys; ta-ta, girls. I'm goin'." The satire likely mocks **upper-class social pretensions**—the contrast between the guests' formal attire and elaborate hats with the casual, colloquial farewell ("ta-ta"). The exaggerated fashions (particularly the women's oversized feathered hats and corseted figures) suggest commentary on **wealthy society's artificiality and absurdity**. The artist's signature reads "F. Halter." Without knowing *The Wasp*'s specific publication date or context, the exact social/political target remains unclear, though it appears to be general satire of Gilded Age or Progressive Era high-society culture and its pretensions.