The Wasp — 1894 — page 496: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts a globe labeled "SOCIETY" being balanced precariously by three men. At the top stands **Leader Greenway**, holding a flag marked "The Knife" with text about "No Sense of Peace" and other illegible notations. Below him, two other figures—identified in the caption as **Chamberlain** (holding cotton gloves) and **Stokes** (representing "the face of the earth")—struggle to support the sphere. The cartoon mocks the instability of high society at the New Year, suggesting these three prominent figures are barely maintaining social order. The numerous small figures depicted across the globe's surface represent society members endangered by this precarious balance. The satire criticizes whether these leaders can actually sustain societal stability.