The Wasp — 1889 — page 350: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains humorous social commentary rather than political cartoons. The top illustration shows three figures at an outing club, with a joke about introducing friends. The "Dinghoeffer Chaperone" section satirizes an absurd patent invention—a hollow rubber figure resembling "an antique maiden lady or matron, of severe facial aspect" that can be packed in a trunk. It's designed to serve as a chaperone at social events, with mechanical features including glass eyes and a clockwork head that nods periodically. The satire mocks both overly cautious social conventions requiring chaperones and the tendency of inventors to patent ridiculous contraptions. Below are miscellaneous jokes and observational humor about society, language, and human behavior. The "Encouragement" section at bottom presents a brief theatrical exchange. This is typical *Wasp* satirical content mocking contemporary social customs and pretensions.