The Wasp — 1890 — page 252: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains several satirical items rather than a single unified cartoon: **"Lady of the House"** (top): A humorous domestic exchange where a woman asks a man to do sewing, offering a button as incentive. The joke plays on the man's reluctance to perform "women's work." **"Photophobia"** (middle): A sketch satirizing artistic rejection—a young poetess's painting titled "Morning" was rejected by the State Fair Art Committee as "too true to life." The satire mocks both overly realistic art and institutional gatekeeping. **"Reaching for the Unattainable"** (bottom): Depicts a man in a chair, illustrating the text's anecdote about a San Diego cemetery resident released from custody after promising not to kill his wife—a darkly comedic piece about domestic violence and questionable justice. The page exemplifies *The Wasp*'s mix of social commentary, domestic humor, and local California incidents.