The Wasp — 1894 — page 310: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts a woman (Mrs. Octavia Streete, described as "a lady of some social pretensions") introducing her daughter to a potential suitor, Mr. Brannan Streete. The joke hinges on the dialogue: when asked if Mr. Streete is a relative, Mrs. Octavia responds "Any relative, maw? Oh-y-y-es; but only your father, dear." This suggests Mr. Brannan Streete is the girl's biological father, despite apparently no longer being married to Mrs. Octavia. The cartoon satirizes the 1890s increase in divorce among the wealthy while maintaining social appearances. The title "The Age of Divorce" critiques how divorce was becoming common enough that family relationships had become confusingly blended or unconventional within San Francisco's upper-class society.