The Wasp — 1894 — page 504: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical illustration from *The Wasp* shows a woman seated at her vanity, looking into a mirror where a man's face appears. The caption reads: "Well, Christmas is over and we have another year before us, Marie." / "The year before me doesn't bother me in the least, sis. It's the years behind me." The cartoon satirizes vanity and aging anxiety, particularly among women. The woman gazes at the reflection of an attractive young man rather than her own reflection, suggesting she's preoccupied with romance and youth rather than confronting her advancing age. The joke critiques feminine preoccupation with appearance and romantic prospects while making light of women's discomfort with aging—a common satirical theme in early American humor magazines.