The Wasp — 1890 — page 211: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The central illustration depicts a fashionably dressed woman in an elaborate gown, titled "Meditation." The accompanying text discusses various prominent California residents and their activities—mostly members of the leisure class at resort hotels (Bayswater, Saratoga, West Point). The satire targets the idle wealthy, particularly women, who occupy themselves with trivial pursuits and gossip while staying at expensive hotels. The "meditation" pose is ironic—suggesting deep thought while the surrounding text emphasizes frivolous social activities, concert-going, and card games. The smaller jokes below mock working-class struggles (poor bread, illness seeking whisky), contrasting sharply with the wealthy subjects above. This reflects *The Wasp's* satirical approach to class disparities and social pretension in Gilded Age America.