The Wasp — 1892 — page 565: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This three-panel comic depicts a social interaction about borrowing money. The first panel shows a man asking another for a loan. The second panel shows the lender's hesitation or refusal. The third panel shows the borrower being rejected or disappointed. The accompanying text discusses various humorous social topics: Mrs. Tom Thumb's visit, debates about biblical figures' occupations (Samson as a barber, Lot's wife as a sailor), and wordplay about "Absalom" and hair disasters. The comic satirizes the common social awkwardness of requesting loans and the reluctance of potential lenders—a timeless theme. The other content on the page represents typical Wasp magazine fare: social gossip, religious humor, and commentary on contemporary figures and situations from early 20th-century American life.